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In  the  Era  of  Youth:  The  Indian  Student  Placement  Program 


"One  Qf  the  greatest 
spheres  of  influence  in  tf\e 

lives  ofydungmen  and 
Women  of  college  age  is  tf\e 
institute  of  Religion 
adjacent  to  college  campuses- 

<7 strongly  urge  tljat  each 

and  evefy  cLatter-day Saint 

yOuth  attending  institutions 

of  higher  learning  otljer 

than  our  QiurclicUniversity 

arjd  colleges  becomes  irjyolved 

hi  this  inspired  program . " 

cPre§ident(T>avidO.<£MccKa!r 


Involve  yourself  in  the  Institute  program  now! 


Cover  Note 

"A  choice  people  in  a  choice  land!"  The 
red  sands  and  blue  skies  of  Monument 
Valley,  Arizona,  and  the  three  young 
Navajo  girls  in  colorful  native  dress  pic- 
tured on  our  August  cover  point  to  the 
fulfillment  of  these  Book  of  Mormon 
words,  as  told  in  articles  in  the  Era  of 
Youth  about  today's  Indian  youth  and 
their  achievements. 

The  cover  picture  was  taken  by  Don 
Gabbott  of  Bountiful,  Utah. 


Mail  for  Canadian  Missionaries 

During  the  Canadian  postal  strike,  air  and 
first  class  mail  to  the  Alaskan-Canadian  Mis- 
sion is  being  addressed  to  P.  0.  Box  154, 
Custer,  Washington;  Western  Canadian  Mis- 
sion, c/o  Ralph  Sluys,  P.  0.  Box  9000,  Great 
Falls,  Montana;  and  Canadian  Mission,  P.  0. 
Box  696,  Falls  Station,  Niagara  Falls,  New 
York. 


Official  organ  of  the  Priesthood  Quorums.  Mutual  Improvement  Associations. 
Home  Teaching  Committee,  Music  Committee.  Church  School  System,  and 
other  agencies  of  The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints. 

The  Improvement  Era,  79  South  State,  Salt  Lake  City.  Utah  84111 


August   1968 


The  Voice  of  the  Church 


August  1968 


Volume  71,  Number  8 


Special  Features 

2  Editor's  Page:    On  This  Evidence,  President  David  0.  McKay 

9  The  Long  Hot  Summer  of  1912  (Part  1),  Karl  E.  Young 

18  Oliver  Cowdery's  Non-Mormon  Reputation,  Dr.  Richard  L.  Anderson 

33  How  Much  Do  You  Want  to  Pay  for  Your  Money?  Melvin  L.  (Bud)  Brain 

53       A  New  Look  at  the  Pearl  of  Great  Price:    Part  4,  Second  String,  Dr. 

Hugh  Nibley 

73  My  Sick-a-Bed  Pillows,  Florence  J.  Johnson 

81        New  England   Leadership  in  the  Rise  and  Progress  of  the  Church, 

Dr.  Gustive  O.  Larson 

Regular  Features 

5  The  Era  Asks  President  N.  Eldon  Tanner  About  the  Word  of  Wisdom 

28  The  LDS  Scene 

30  Major  Genealogical  Resources  in  the  Netherlands 

34  Lest  We  Forget:  Sam  Brannan  and  the  Sea  Saints,  Albert  L.  Zobell,  Jr. 
65  Teaching:    It's  Later  Than  It  Has  Ever  Been  Before,  Jim  Johnston 

70       Today's  Family:   Swings  and  Things,  Florence  B.  Pinnock 

74  The  Presiding  Bishopric's  Page:   The  Presiding  Bishop  Talks  to  Youth 
About  Decisions,  Bishop  John  H.  Vandenberg 

76       The  Church  Moves  On 

78       Buffs  and  Rebuffs 

85       These  Times:    Church  Ceremonial,  Dr.  G.  Homer  Durham 

88       End  of  an  Era 

35,  69,  77,  78       The  Spoken  Word,  Richard  L.  Evans 

Era  of  Youth 

37-52       Marion  D.  Hanks  and  Elaine  Cannon,  Editors 


Poetry 


4,  8,  36,  49,  69,  79,  80,  84        Poetry 


David  0.  McKay  and  Richard  L.  Evans,  Editors;  Doyle  L  Green.  Managing  Editor;  Albert  L.  Zobell,  Jr.,  Research  Editor;  Mabel  Jones  Gabbott,  Jay  M.  Todd, 
Eleanor  Knowles,  William  T.  Sykes,  Editorial  Associates;  Florence  B.  Pinnock.  Today's  Family  Editor;  Marion  D.  Hanks,  Era  of  Youth  Editor;  Elaine  Cannon. 
Era  of  Youth  Associate  Editor;  Ralph  Reynolds,  Art  Director;  Norman  F.  Price,  Staff  Artist. 

G.    Homer  Durham,    Franklin   S.    Harris.   Jr.,    Hugh    Nibley,   Sidney  B.    Sperry,   Albert  L  Payne,  Contributing  Editors. 

G.  Carlos  Smith.  Jr.,  General  Manager;  Florence  S,  Jacobsen,  Associate  General    Manager;   Verl   F.   Scott.    Business   Manager;   A.    Glen   Snarr,    Acting    Business 

Manager   and    Subscription    Director;   Thayer  Evans,  S.   Glenn   Smith,    Advertising  Representatives. 

©General  Superintendent,  Young  Men's  Mutual  Improvement  Association  of  The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints,    1968,  and   published    by  the 

Mutual  Improvement  Associations  of  The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day   Saints.    All    rights    reserved.    Subscription    price,    $3,00   a    year,    in    advance; 

multiple  subscriptions,  2  years,  $5.75;  3  years,  $8.25;  each  succeeding  year,    $2.50   a    year   added    to   the   three-year    price;    35t    single    copy,    except    for 

special  issues. 

Entered  at  the  Post  Office.  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  as  second  class  matter.  Acceptance  for  mailing  at  special   rate  of  postage    provided  for   in   section    1103. 

act  of  October  1917,  authorized  July  2,   1918. 

The  Improvement  Era  is  not  responsible  for  unsolicited  manuscripts  but  welcomes   contributions.    Manuscripts    are    paid    for  on    acceptance    and    must    be 

accompanied  by  sufficient  postage  for  delivery  and  return. 

Thirty  days'  notice  is  required  for  change  of  address.  When  ordering  a  change,   please  include  address  slip  from  a  recent   issue  of  the   magazine.     Address 

changes  cannot  be  made  unless  the  old  address  as  well  as  the  new  one  is  included. 


On  This  Evidence 


•  "I  charge  thee  therefore  before  God,"  Paul 
wrote  to  Timothy,  "and  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
who  shall  judge  the  quick  and  the  dead  at  his 
appearing  and  his  kingdom; 

"Preach  the  word;  be  instant  in  season,  out  of 
season;  reprove,  rebuke,  exhort  with  all  long- 
suffering  and  doctrine. 

"For  the  time  will  come  when  they  will  not 
endure  sound  doctrine;  but  after  their  own  lusts 
shall  they  heap  to  themselves  teachers,  having 
itching  ears; 

"And  they  shall  turn  away  their  ears  from  the 
truth,  and  shall  be  turned  unto  fables. 

"But  watch  thou  in  all  things,  endure  afflic- 
tions, do  the  work  of  an  evangelist,  make  full 
proof  of  thy  ministry."  (2  Tim.  4:1-5.) 

When  Paul  wrote  this,  he  was  a  prisoner  at 
Rome.  These  are  among  his  last  recorded  words 
to  Timothy,  his  son  in  the  faith.  In  that  first 
sentence  Paul  declares  the  existence  of  God, 
which  he  supports  authoritatively  in  his  writings. 
He  declares  the  divinity  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  the 
reality  of  his  resurrection. 

"Preach  the  word,"  Paul  admonishes  Timothy. 
What  "word"?  That  "Jesus  Christ,  who  hath 
abolished  death,  .  .  .  hath  brought  life  and  immor- 
tality to  light  through  the  gospel."  (2  Tim.  1:10.) 

"Behold  the  man!"  said  Pontius  Pilate,  Roman 
governor  of  Judea,  as  Jesus,  mockingly  bedecked 
with  a  purple  robe,  his  head  covered  with  a  crown 
of  thorns,  stood  before  the  mob,  which  cried, 
"Crucify  him,  crucify  him!"   (John  19:5-6.) 

As  on  the  occasion  of  that  historic  trial,  so 
through  the  ages  men  have  beheld  Christ  from 
different  viewpoints.  Some  who  reject  him  as 
venomously  as  did  the  rabble  see  in  him  and  in 
his  disciples  "investors  of  a  Christian  moral 
system  that  has  undermined  and  sapped  the  vigor 
of  the  European  world."  Others  with  clearer  in- 
sight, begotten  by  experience,  behold  him  as  the 
originator  of  a  system  that  "promotes  industry, 
honesty,  truth,  purity,  and  kindness,  a  system 
that  upholds  law,  favors  liberty;  is  essential  to 
it,  and  would  unite  men  in  one  great  brotherhood." 

Others  behold  him  as  the  "one  perfect  charac- 


ter— the  peerless  personality  of  history,"  but  deny 
his  divinity.  Millions  accept  him  as  the  Great 
Teacher,  whose  teachings,  however,  are  not 
applicable  to  modern  social  conditions.  A  few — 
oh,  how  few — of  the  approximately  three  and  one- 
half  billion  inhabitants  of  the  globe  accept  him 
for  what  he  really  is — the  Only  Begotten  of  the 
Father,  who  "came  into  the  world,  even  Jesus, 
to  be  crucified  for  the  world,  and  to  bear  the  sins 
of  the  world,  and  to  sanctify  the  world,  and  to 
cleanse  it  from  all  unrighteousness."  (D&C 
76:41.) 

Prove  it  as  a  fact  that  Christ  did  appear  after 
death  as  a  glorified,  resurrected  being  and  you 
have  the  answer  to  the  question  of  the  ages :  "If 
a  man  die,  shall  he  live  again?"  Look  at  the  deep 
significance  of  the  testimony  of  the  Savior's 
disciples,  who  were  stricken  with  gloom  when  he 
was  crucified.  That  his  death  was  a  reality  to 
them  is  shown  in  their  intense  grief,  in  the  state- 
ment of  Thomas,  in  the  moral  perplexity  of  Peter, 
and  in  the  evident  preparations  for  a  permanent 
burial  of  their  Master.  Notwithstanding  Christ's 
assurance,  repeated  often  during  the  two  and  a 
half  years  he  was  with  them,  that  he  would  re- 
turn to  them  after  death,  the  apostles  seemed 
not  to  have  accepted,  or  not  to  have  comprehended, 
that  statement  as  a  literal  fact. 

What  was  it,  we  ask  the  world,  that  suddenly 
changed  these  disciples  to  confident,  fearless, 
heroic  preachers  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ? 
It  was  the  reality  that  Christ  had  risen  from  the 
grave,  his  promises  had  been  kept,  his  messianic 
mission  had  been  fulfilled. 

On  the  evidence  of  these  unprejudiced,  un- 
expected, incredulous  witnesses,  the  resurrection 
has  its  impregnable  foundation.  I  like  to  think 
of  one  young  man  among  them  as  an  independent 
thinker.  His  mother  had  joined  the  Christian 
Church,  but  he  did  not  pay  much  attention  to  it 
until  he  was  disturbed  one  night  by  his  mother's 
voice  asking  him  to  rise  quickly:  "Don't  stop  to 
dress;  throw  a  cloak  around  your  body  and  rush 
to  Gethsemane.  Tell  Jesus  that  Judas  and  soldiers 
are  coming  to  arrest  him."    I  think  that  young 


Improvement  Era 


By  President  David  O.  McKay 


man  who  fled  was  John  Mark,  the  author  of  one 
of  the  four  gospels. 

We  have  no  evidence  that  Mark  joined  the 
Church  while  the  Savior  was  on  the  earth.  But 
we  know  that  he  did  join  the  Church  later,  and 
that  he  labored  with  Peter.  We  know  that  Paul, 
in  his  letter  to  Timothy,  said:  "Bring  Mark  with 
you,  for  he  is  profitable  to  our  ministry."  (See 
2  Tim.  4:11.)  We  know  Mark  went  on  a  mission 
to  the  northern  part  of  Africa,  and  that  travelers 
today  can  walk  over  ruins  of  structures  built  to 
his  memory. 

Mark  did  not  himself  recount  any  appearance 
of  the  Risen  Lord,  but  he  testified  that  the  Lord 
would  meet  his  disciples.  From  Mark  we  hear  the 
glorious  proclamation  of  the  first  empty  tomb  in 
all  the  world.  For  the  first  time  in  history  the 
words  "here  lies"  were  supplanted  by  the  divine 
message,  "He  is  risen."  No  one  can  doubt  that 
Mark  was  convinced  in  his  soul  of  the  reality 
of  the  empty  tomb ;  and,  if  my  inference  is  right, 
he  knew  about  the  trial,  the  humiliation  to  which 
Jesus  was  subjected,  and  the  crucifixion.  He 
devoted  his  life  to  the  proclaiming  of  the  gospel, 
and  if  tradition  can  be  relied  upon,  he  sealed  his 
testimony  with  his  blood. 

Luke  stood  by  Paul's  side  at  the  jail,  and  not 
long  after  that,  according  to  the  tradition,  Paul 
was  beheaded.  Luke  was  a  physician.  He  spent 
many  years  of  his  life  studying  about  the  cruci- 
fied Savior.  He  experienced  the  darkness  that 
spread  over  the  country  at  the  time  of  the  cruci- 
fixion. In  chapter  24,  Luke  testifies  to  the  divine 
message:  "Why  seek  ye  the  living  among  the 
dead? 

"He  is  not  here,  but  is  risen.  .  .  ."  (Luke  24: 
5-6.) 

With  equal  assurance,  we  can  accept  his  state- 
ment and  witness  in  regard  to  the  testimonies  of 
Peter  and  Paul  and  other  apostles  regarding  the 
resurrection.  "To  whom  also  he  [Christ]  shewed 
himself  alive  after  his  passion  by  many  infallible 
proofs,  being  seen  of  them  forty  days,  and  speak- 
ing of  the  things  pertaining  to  the  kingdom  of 
God."  (Acts  1:3.) 


Neither  Mark  nor  Luke  testifies  as  to  having 
personally  seen  the  Risen  Lord,  and,  therefore, 
some  urge  that  their  recorded  testimonies  cannot 
be  taken  as  firsthand  evidence.  That  they  do  not 
so  testify  and  yet  were  convinced  that  others  did 
see  him  shows  how  incontrovertible  was  the 
evidence  among  the  apostles  and  other  disciples 
that  the  resurrection  was  a  reality. 

Fortunately,  we  have  the  personal  testimony  of 
a  witness  to  an  appearance  of  Jesus  after  his 
death  and  burial.  This  personal  testimony  also 
corroborates  the  testimonies  not  only  of  Mark 
and  Luke,  but  also  of  others.  Saul,  a  Jew  of 
Tarsus  who  was  educated  at  the  feet  of  the 
Pharisee  Gamaliel,  was,  before  his  conversion,  a 
bitter  persecutor  of  all  who  believed  in  Jesus  of 
Nazareth.  Later  the  thoroughly  converted  Saul, 
now  the  apostle  Paul,  proclaimed: 

"For  I  delivered  unto  you  first  of  all  that  which 
I  also  received,  how  that  Christ  died  for  our  sins 
according  to  the  scriptures; 

"And  that  he  was  buried,  and  that  he  rose 
again  the  third  day  according  to  the  scriptures: 

"And  that  he  was  seen  of  Cephas,  then  of  the 
twelve ; 

"After  that,  he  was  seen  of  above  five  hundred 
brethren  at  once;  of  whom  the  greater  part  re- 
main unto  this  present,  but  some  are  fallen 
asleep. 

"After  that,  he  was  seen  of  James ;  then  of  all 
the  apostles. 

"And  last  of  all  he  was  seen  of  me  also,  as  of 
one  born  out  of  due  time. 

"For  I  am  the  least  of  the  apostles,  that  am 
not  meet  to  be  called  an  apostle,  because  I  perse- 
cuted the  church  of  God."  (1  Cor.  15:3-9.) 

In  addition  to  the  ancient  apostles,  we  have  the 
testimony  of  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith,  who 
gives  in  an  unequivocal  description  the  following 
stirring  testimony  in  relation  to  his  first  vision: 

".  .  .  When  the  light  rested  upon  me  I  saw 
two  Personages  .  .  .  standing  above  me  in  the  air. 
One  of  them  spake  unto  me,  calling  me  by  name, 
and  said,  pointing  to  the  other — This  is  My  Be- 
loved Son.  Hear,Him!"( Joseph  Smith  2:17.)    -*" 


August   1968 


These  words  were  spoken  about  eighteen  hundred 
years  after  the  resurrection  of  the  Savior. 

Thus,  The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day- 
Saints  stands  with  Peter,  Paul,  James,  and  all  of 
the  apostles  in  accepting  the  resurrection  as  being 
not  only  literally  true,  but  also  as  the  consumma- 
tion of  Christ's  divine  mission  on  earth.  Other 
great  religious  leaders  among  the  nations  of  the 
world  since  history  began  have  taught  virtue, 
temperance,  self-control,  service,  obedience  to 
righteousness  and  duty;  some  have  taught  belief 
in  one  supreme  ruler  and  in  a  hereafter ;  but  only 
Christ  broke  the  seal  of  the  grave  and  revealed 
death  as  the  door  to  immortality  and  eternal  life. 

If  Christ  lived  after  death,  so  shall  men,  each 
one  taking  his  place,  in  the  next  world,  for  which 
he  is  best  fitted.  Since  love  is  as  eternal  as  life, 
the  message  of  the  resurrection  is  the  most  com- 
forting, the  most  glorious  message  ever  given  to 
man;  for  when  death  takes  a  loved  one  from  us, 


we  can  look  with  assurance  into  the  open  grave 
and  say,  "He  is  not  here;  he  will  rise  again." 
(See  Matt.  28:6.) 

My  dear  fellow  workers,  I  know  as  a  divine 
truth  that  Christ  preached  to  the  spirits  in  prison 
while  his  body  lay  in  the  tomb.    It  is  true! 

".  .  .  the  Lord  is  God,  and  beside  him  there  is 
no  Savior. 

"Great  is  his  wisdom,  marvelous  are  his  ways, 
and  the  extent  of  his  doings  none  can  find  out. 

"His  purposes  fail  not,  neither  are  there  any 
who  can  stay  his  hand. 

"From  eternity  to  eternity  he  is  the  same,  and 
his  years  never  fail. 

"For  thus  saith  the  Lord — I,  the  Lord,  am 
merciful  and  gracious  unto  those  who  fear  me, 
and  delight  to  honor  those  who  serve  me  in 
righteousness  and  in  truth  unto  the  end. 

"Great  shall  be  their  reward  and  eternal  shall 
be  their  glory."  (D&C  76:1-6.)  O 


An  Okinawa  Sabbath 
By  J.  William  Perry 


/  ivas  awakened  this   morning 
Here  in  a  remote  corner  of  God's 

vineyard. 
It  is  the  Sabbath. 
Raindrops  dripping  from-  eaves 
Echoed  through  my  room, 
And    the    windows    were    dull 

gray. 


Suddenly 

An  intense  feeling  crept  through 

my  being. 
"Your  radio — turn  it  on — 

listen!" 

And  then — 


"Music   and   the  Spoken   Word 
From    the    Crossroads    of    the 

West." 

My  ears  filled,  as 

Strains  of  pipe  and  voice, 

As  choir  and  organ, 

Poured  forth  music 

Illuminated  by 

The  Spirit  of  the  Lord. 

And  the  spoken  word, 

Magnified  and  enhanced 

By  more    than   the    Tabernacle 

dome, 
Brought  forth  a  simple  message 
(Not  verbose) 
About  respect   one  to   another, 


And  the  family — 

The  very  hallmark  of  His  gospel. 

Maybe  it  was   heard   by   more 

than  I, 
By  other  servicemen; 
Possibly    they    too    sensed,    the 

beauty  thereof 
And  will  come  to  know 
That  it  was  given  to  us 
As  one  gleaming  pearl, 
A  single  bead 
From  a  golden  string, 
The  glory  and  extent  of  which 
Cannot  be  fully  conceived 
By  finite  mortals. 
Thus  came  this  message. 


Improvement  Era 


Almost  100  percent 
of  nighttime  fatal 

accidents  to  teenagers 
in  St.  Louis 

in  1967  involved 
alcohol. 


The  Era  Asks 


President  N.  Eldon  Tanner 
About  the  Word  of  Wisdom 

With  the  deluge  of  new  soul-  and  mind-destroying  drugs,  and  the  modern  worldwide  barrage  of  propaganda  by  alcoholic 
and  tobacco  interests,  few  topics  are  more  timely  than  the  Word  of  Wisdom.  President  N.  Eldon  Tanner,  second  coun- 
selor in  the  First  Presidency,  has  kept  abreast  of  the  many  findings  involving  the  Word  of  Wisdom.  Formerly  a  school 
principal,  Minister  of  Land,  Mines,  and  Forests  of  the  Province  of  Alberta,  Canada,  and  president  of  Trans-Canada  Pipe 
Lines  Limited,  President  Tanner  has  enjoyed  a  career  of  far-ranging  influence. 


Q.  How  do  researchers,  educators,  and  health 
scientists  view  the  influence  of  alcohol  upon  society? 

A.  Alcohol— in  liquors,  beers,  and  all  forms— has 
contributed  more  evil,  sadness,  and  heartache  to  the 
world  than  will  ever  be  imagined  by  our  finite  minds. 
Even  in  business,  its  toll  is  tremendous.  Experts 
claim  that  more  than  five  workers  out  of  every  100 
are  alcoholics,  and  these  include  men  from  the  execu- 
tive suite  to  the  assembly  line.  They  cost  industry 
four  billion  dollars  a  year.  One  official,  Lewis  F. 
Presnall,  director  of  the  industrial  services  of  the 
National  Council  on  Alcoholism,  says  alcoholism 
among  workers  is  a  "huge  problem  and  extremely 
costly  to  industry." 

But  alcoholism  does  more  than  hit  industry  in  the 
pocketbook.  It  hits  every  citizen.  In  1966  Senator 
Jacob  K.  Javits  of  New  York  introduced  the  Alcoholism 
Control  Act  in  the  U.  S.  Senate,  and  reported  that 
some  15  percent  of  all  new  admissions  to  public 
non-federal  mental  hospitals  in  1960  were  alcoholics. 
It  is  calculated  that  over  five  million  persons  in  the 
United   States    are    alcoholics    and   that    alcohol   in- 


directly upsets  another  20  million  lives— persons  such 
as  family  members,  employers,  and  close  associates. 
Two  billion  dollars  each  year  are  spent  for  the  care 
and  rehabilitation  of  alcoholics.  Every  citizen  pays 
in  increased  taxes  the  cost  of  alcoholism. 

Q.   Is  alcoholism  increasing? 

A.  Yes,  national  councils  state  that  alcoholism  has 
increased  so  rapidly  that  it  now  ranks  fourth  in  the 
United  States  as  a  leading  health  problem.  Only 
mental  illness,  heart  disease,  and  cancer  are  more 
common.  In  our  permissive  society,  the  development 
of  a  state  of  mind  conducive  to  the  use  of  alcohol 
has  been  inevitable. 

Q.  Do  parents  need  to  be  more  vigilant  in  this 
matter? 

A.  Very  definitely,  and  especially  Latter-day  Saint 
parents  who  have  the  word  of  the  Lord  on  this  sub- 
ject. Parents  need  to  remember  that  their  children 
associate  with  friends  who  are  not  aware  of  the 
dangers  of  alcohol,  even  with  youth  who  themselves 
may  be  drinking.  Dr.  Frederick  Hudson,  director  of 
an  alcoholic  clinic  in  San  Francisco,  claims  that  70 


August   1968 


percent  of  all  alcoholics  begin  drinking  as  teenagers. 
These  youths  see  the  drinking  of  alcohol  as  a  natural 
way  of  life  among  their  parents  and  others.  Accord- 
ing to  the  1963  White  House  Conference  on  Children 
and  Youth,  most  youths  who  drink  get  their  first 
drink  in  their  own  homes  from  parents  who  drink 
regularly. 

I  would  like  to  refer  to  a  story  that  I  have  often 
mentioned  about  the  father  who  was  called  to  the 
scene  of  a  car  accident  in  which  his  young  daughter 
was  killed.  The  group  had  been  drinking,  and  the 
father  in  his  anguish  exclaimed:  "I'll  kill  the  man  who 
provided  this  whiskey!"  On  returning  home  he  found 
a  note  in  his  daughter's  own  handwriting  in  his  liquor 
cabinet.  It  read:  "Dad,  I  hope  you  don't  mind  our 
taking  your  whiskey  tonight." 

Since  youth  will  not  be  able  to  avoid  being  exposed 
to  alcohol,  we  need  to  encourage  them  to  teach  their 
friends  the  truth  about  alcohol.  Parents  may  be  in- 
terested to  know  that  a  special  jury  in  St.  Louis,  Mis- 
souri, found  that  "almost  100  percent  of  the  nighttime 
fatal  accidents  to  teenagers  in  1967  involved  the  use 
of  alcohol."  In  fact,  the  U.  S.  Department  of  Health, 
Education,  and  Welfare  reported  in  1967  that  50 
percent  of  all  highway  accidents  are  caused  by  drink- 
ing. In  September  1964,  the  Medical  Tribune  reported 
that  68  percent  of  all  highway  deaths  were  caused  by 
drinking.  We  should  all  be  active  in  the  enactment 
and  enforcement  of  laws  to  protect  the  public  against 
drinking  drivers. 

But  alcohol's  toll  does  not  end  on  the  highway.  The 
Federal  Bureau  of  Investigation  in  1966  reported  that 
almost  50  percent  of  all  those  arrested  were  under 
the  influence  of  alcohol.  The  Quarterly  Journal  of 
Studies  of  Alcohol  reported  that  alcohol  was  involved 
in  64  percent  of  homicide  cases,  70  percent  of  physi- 
cal assault  crimes,  and  50  percent  of  shootings  and 
other  assaults.  (Vol.  17.) 


It  is  an  established  fact  that  much  sex  delinquency 
begins  when  one  is  under  the  influence  of  alcohol. 
Also,  alcohol  is  the  cause  of  more  broken  homes,  frus- 
trated and  disappointed  children,  warped  personali- 
ties, and  dulling  of  minds  than  any  other  single  cause. 
No  one  needs  to  question  the  inspiration  of  the  in- 
struction, "wine  or  strong  drink  is  not  good."  (See 
D&C  89:5.) 

Q.  Has  research  confirmed  the  Church's  teach- 
ings against  the  use  of  drinks  containing  caffeine? 

A.  Numerous  researchers  and  students  are  cur- 
rently probing  the  influence  on  humans  of  many  so- 
called  harmless  drugs,  such  as  caffeine.  According 
to  a  German  geneticist,  Dr.  Wolfram  Osterag,  "coffee, 
tea,  and  certain  soft  drinks  may  not  be  as  innocuous 
as  they  seem.  The  caffeine  in  these  drinks  and  in 
some  medicines  can  cause  miscarriages  or  can  be 
passed  on  to  the  unborn  baby,  causing  mutations  in 
its  cells." 

In  experiments  conducted  with  human  cells,  the 
physician  found  that  caffeine  causes  the  chromosomes 
of  the  cells  to  break  up.  Dr.  Osterag  has  said,  "The 
possibility  exists  that  caffeine  is  one  of  the  most 
dangerous  mutation-causing  agents  in  man,  since  it 
is  known  that  caffeine  penetrates  to  the  human 
germinal  tissue  and  through  the  placental  barrier  to 
the  human  fetus." 

Q.  Are  the  discoveries  about  tobacco  that  made 
so  many  headlines  several  years  ago  fully  sub- 
stantiated? 

A.  Most  emphatically.  In  fact,  mounting  pressure 
continues  to  pile  up  against  the  use  of  tobacco.  At 
first,  isolated  studies  linked  cigarette  smoking  with  an 
increased  risk  of  death  from  lung  cancer.  Then  in 
1962  the  British  Royal  College  of  Physicians  reported 
that  some  500  Britons  were  dying  each  week  from 
lung  cancer  and  that  80  percent  of  these  deaths  were 
caused  by  cigarettes. 


Improvement  Era 


Heavy  advertising 
by  the  tobacco 
industry  has  attempted 
to  offset  the  truth 
about  tobacco. 


Besides  being  connected  with  lung  cancer  and 
pulmonary  diseases,  tobacco  is  also  associated  with 
deaths  from  peptic  ulcers,  stroke,  and  cancer  of  the 
larynx,  mouth,  pharynx,  esophagus,  and  bladder,  as 
well  as  other  diseases.  It  is  reported  that  each  year 
tobacco  is  responsible  for  11  million  cases  of  chronic 
illness  in  the  United  States  and  77  million  days  lost 
from  work. 

It  is  little  wonder,  then,  that  the  Lord  has  said, 
"And  again,  tobacco  is  not  for  the  body,  neither  for 
the  belly,  and  is  not  good  for  man.  .  .  ,"  (D&C  89:8.) 

The  truth  about  tobacco  is  coming  more  into  the 
public  consciousness,  but  heavy  advertising  by  the 
tobacco  industry  has  attempted  to  offset  the  truth, 
and  even  resulted  in  a  2.9  percent  increase  in  cigarette 
sales  last  year. 

But  if  we  will  continue  to  teach  the  facts  about 
tobacco  and  alcohol,  most  of  our  people,  we  hope, 
will  make  the  intelligent  decision.  According  to  re- 
search, teenagers  are  smarter  than  many  adults  in 
this  respect.  A  U.S.  Public  Health  Service  survey 
reports  that  teenage  smoking  has  dropped  10  percent 
in  the  last  ten  years  throughout  the  United  States, 
and  that  80  percent  of  the  teens  who  say  they  smoke 
also  say  they  plan  to  quit. 

Q.  What  are  your  thoughts  concerning  the  drugs, 
such  as  LSD,  currently  in  use? 

A.  Far  too  many  of  our  own  Latter-day  Saints  have 
experimented  and  continue  to  experiment  with  LSD 
and  other  modern  drugs.  They  take  drugs  in  opposi- 
tion to  known  medical  and  scientific  research,  and 
in  opposition  to  sound  thinking  and  moral  teachings. 
Many  reports  of  sad  experiences  with  drugs,  in  which 
individuals  involved  now  regret  their  actions,  have 
come  to  our  attention. 

For  example,  LSD  has  been  identified  as  a  drug 
that  "substitutes  instant  delirium  tremens  for  the 
slower  escapism  of  the  whiskey  bottle."  It  may  cause 


the  emotionally  disturbed  to  go  permanently  insane. 
Harvard  University  has  reported:  "We  now  know  that 
long-term  subtle  psychological  damage  can  result 
from  LSD.  Numerous  cases  have  been  reported  of 
prolonged  psychotic  reactions  lasting  from  a  few 
months  to  two  years."  The  university  also  reports 
that  the  drug  probably  structurally  damages  the 
brain.  What  sane,  intelligent  person  would  want  to 
damage  his  brain  permanently? 

Q.  How  should  Latter-day  Saints  view  this  ten- 
dency of  our  modern  environment  to  discover  and 
promote  the  use  of  these  mind-  and  soul-wasting 
drugs  of  alcohol,  nicotine,  caffeine,  and  LSD? 

A.  Despite  all  that  we  know  about  the  danger  of 
these  drugs  and  their  evil  and  shocking  influence, 
many  youths— some  of  them  Latter-day  Saints— each 
year  begin  the  drinking,  smoking,  and  drug-use  ex- 
perience. Parents,  teachers,  and  youth  leaders  must 
make  a  renewed  attempt  to  reach  all  of  our  youth— 
the  religiously  active  as  well  as  the  inactive— con- 
cerning this  message,  and  to  encourage  our  youth 
and  adults  to  be  ambassadors  in  informing  their 
associates  of  the  dangers  of  these  drugs.  No  good 
comes  from  them  as  they  are  currently  used  in  con- 
temporary society— only  degeneration  of  physical  and 
mental  health.  Many  films  on  these  topics  are  avail- 
able from  the  American  Cancer  Society,  medical 
departments,  police  departments,  health  agencies,  and 
other  governmental  agencies. 

All  Latter-day  Saints  should  read  again  that  blessed 
revelation  in  the  Doctrine  and  Covenants  concerning 
our  latter-day  environment,  Section  89: 

"Behold,  verily,  thus  saith  the  Lord  unto  you:  In 
consequence  of  evils  and  designs  which  do  and  will 
exist  in  the  hearts  of  conspiring  men  in  the  last  days, 
I  have  warned  you,  and  forewarn  you,  by  giving 
unto  you  this  word  of  wisdom  by  revelation— 

"And  all  saints  who  remember  to  keep  and  do  these 


August   1968 


'We  have  not  seen 

the  end  of  such 

new  drugs 

nor  their 

devastating  results." 


sayings,  walking  in  obedience  to  the  commandments, 
shall  receive  health  in  their  navel  and  marrow  to 
their  bones; 

"And  shall  find  wisdom  and  great  treasures  of 
knowledge,  even  hidden  treasures; 

"And  shall  run  and  not  be  weary,  and  shall  walk 
and  not  faint. 

"And  I,  the  Lord,  give  unto  them  a  promise,  that 
the  destroying  angel  shall  pass  by  them,  as  the 
children  of  Israel,  and  not  slay  them.  Amen."  (D&C 
89:4,  18-21.) 

We  have  not  seen  the  end  of  such  new  drugs  nor 
their  devastating  results.  There  will  be  more.  And 
there  will  be  continual  pressure  by  the  forces  con- 
nected with  the  tobacco  and  alcohol  industries.    Yet, 


whatever   the   pressures,    whatever   our   society   may 
offer,  Latter-day  Saints  need  not  succumb. 

Our  bodies  are  the  temples  of  our  personal  spirits, 
and  they  are  also  the  temples  of  the  Spirit  of  God. 
Truly,  the  influence  of  the  Spirit  finds  difficulty  in 
penetrating  a  drug-dulled  and  drug-warped  mind. 
May  God  bless  us  to  seek  after  the  good  things  of  the 
earth,  the  good  things  of  life.  May  all  Latter-day 
Saints  seek  inspiration  in  their  callings  and  encourage 
people  everywhere  to  experience  the  full  joy  of  mental, 
spiritual,  and  physical  health  that  our  Father  in 
heaven  has  promised  to  those  who  follow  his  teach- 
ings. And  may  we  all  thank  him  for  and  determine 
to  fully  keep  the  Word  of  Wisdom.  Never  before 
has  the  divinity  of  its  message  been  more  apparent. 


WHAT  IS  IT? 
By  Heidi  Vogt 

What  is  it— 

That  makes  the  sweetness  of  life, 
That  makes  my  heart  rejoice 
And  my  breath  stand  still? 

Is  it  the  laughter  of  a  child, 
Or  the  sunbeams  kissing 
The  fragrant  roses  in  the  morning. 
Or  is  it  you,  or  is  it  God? 


When  I  look  at  the  rainbow 
And  see  the  colors  magnificently 
Joined  together, 
Mv  heart  speaks  clearly: 

It's  God  through  whom  you  are 

inspired. 
It's  you,  and  in  your  eyes 
I  hear  the  children  laughing, 
And  with  your  smile  you  give  me  life 
Because  you  are  my  love. 


Improvement  Era 


'/<? 


U1C 


W 


ummtf 


1912 


By  Karl  E.  Young 


A  remarkable  yet  often  overlooked  chapter  in  Church 
history  deals  with  the  early  Latter-day  Saint  colonies 
in  Mexico.  This  is  the  first  in  a  series  of  fascinating 
glimpses  into  the  flight  of  the  Mormons  from  Mexico 
in  1912.  They  are  selected  chapters  from  a  forth- 
coming book,  Ordeal  in  Mexico,  to  be  published  by 
Deseret  Book  Company.  Today,  about  60,000  Latter- 
day  Saints  in  three  stakes  and  five  missions  live  in 
Mexico  and  enjoy  the  freedoms  and  opportunities  of 
this  important  American  nation.  Karl  E.  Young,  the 
author,  is  a  former  Rhodes  scholar  at  Oxford  Univer- 
sity in  England  and  has  taught  English  at  Brigham 
Young  University  since  1930. 


BEGINNINGS 

•  "The  Mormons  were  driven  from  their  homes.  .  .  ." 
Thus  begins  the  melancholy  narrative,  well-known  to 
most  Latter-day  Saints.  And  most  Saints  could  piece 
out  the  story,  telling  how  their  pioneer  ancestors 
crossed  the  plains,  goading  their  tired  oxen  or  buck- 
ing handcarts  with  their  own  weary  limbs.  They 
would  also  be  able  to  tell,  readily  and  eagerly,  why 
their  folks  left  Nauvoo,  toiling  across  the  prairie  and 
the  mountains  in  order  to  find  a  place  where  they 
could  worship  God  in  their  own  way  and  raise  their 
families  free  from  the  heckling  and  depredations  of 
intolerant  mobs. 

No  doubt  most  Mormons  could  also  tell  how,  with 
minor  variations,  the  tale  repeated  itself  40  years 
later,  when  devout  believers  in  the  divine  law  of 
polygamy  gave  up  their  homes  rather  than  suffer 
separation,  and  pioneered  a  new  life  in  a  new  country, 
Mexico,  where  they  could  live  their  religion  and 
prepare  for  eternal  glory  according  to  the  pattern  laid 
down  by  the  Prophet  Joseph.  These  zealous  souls 
were  forced  across  the  border  by  the  pressure  of  the 
United  States  marshals  who,  with  the  passage  of 
the  Edmunds-Tucker  Act  of  1887,  galvanized  their 
efforts  to  stamp  out  the  practice  of  polygamy. 

Parts  of  this  material  are  reprinted  by  courtesy  of  The  American  West,  in  which  it  first  appeared. 


But  it  is  doubtful  that  many  Mormons  who  should 
happen  to  hear  those  bleak  words  about  expulsion 
from  homes  repeated  again  in  a  third  context  would 
know  how  to  complete  the  story.  Some  of  them  might 
be  aware  that  the  third  exodus  in  less  than  70  years 
was  from  Mexico.  They  probably  would  remember 
having  heard  such  phrases  as  "the  colonies,"  and  "the 
exodus,"  and  "Juarez  Academy,"  but  it  is  extremely 
doubtful  that  they  would  know  that  Juarez  Academy 
is  not  located  in  Juarez  City,  across  the  Rio  Grande 
from  El  Paso.  It  is  most  unlikely  that  they  would  be 
able  to  find  Colonia  Juarez  very  quickly  on  a  map, 
located  as  it  is  in  remote  western  Chihuahua,  more 
than  150  miles  southwest  of  El  Paso,  It  is  even  more 
doubtful  that  they  would  know  that  the  Mormons 
founded  six  colonies  in  Chihuahua  and  two  in  Sonora, 
and  that  the  year  in  which  all  of  these  colonies  were 
abandoned  was  1912,  when  the  revolution  that  swept 
Mexico  was  swirling  with  special  violence  on  the 
lonely  plains  of  Chihuahua, 

But  the  ordeal  through  which  the  Mormon  colonists 
in  Mexico  passed  during  that  revolution  of  1912  was 
of  so  painful  a  nature  as  to  stir  responses  in  every 
person,  young  or  old,  who  looks  with  sympathy  upon 
the  human  predicament.  True,  the  colonists  did  not 
have  to  endure  such  pain  and  anguish  as  did  the 
Donner  party,  stranded  in  the  deep  snows  on  the 
east  side  of  the  towering  Sierras  and  reduced  to 
the  degradation  of  cannibalism  for  mere  wretched 
survival.  But  the  Chihuahua  colonists  suffered 
through  the  grinding  misery  of  history  repeating  itself 
for  a  third  time  as  Saints  were  once  again  forced 
to  abandon  their  homes  and  their  possessions  and  flee 
as  did  their  ancestors  from  Nauvoo,  this  time  back  to 
a  country  on  which  they  had  already  turned  their 
backs  as  they  sought  relief  from  oppression  a  quarter 
of  a  century  earlier. 

Purpose   of  this   story  is   to  tell   of  the  sufferings 


August   1968 


*«k.^HHIH     «. 


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Illustrated   by  Ted   Nagata 


Improvement  Era 


With  threats  and  warnings, 
Caveda  and  50  men 
blustered  into  town. 


f 


md  hardships  that  attended  that  flight  from  Mexico. 
The  impact  of  those  harrowing  experiences  cannot 
be  sensed  adequately  unless  a  reader  is  allowed 
to  see  the  details  and  to  participate  in  the  events 
themselves.  In  order  to  achieve  this  effect,  the  writer 
has  attempted  to  choose  accounts  that  are  most  rep- 
resentative of  the  experiences  of  the  Mexican  colonists 
as  a  whole.  And  in  order  to  capture  the  sense  of 
immediacy,  which  alone  can  recreate  the  sensations 
of  participation,  he  has  focused  the  narrative  lens  on 
individuals  and  held  the  microphone  close  to  the  lips 
of  the  most  articulate. 

Nevertheless,  before  we  isolate  the  individual,  we 
must  see  him  in  his  group.  We  shall  therefore  take  a 
rapid  survey  of  the  events  in  the  background  of  all 
Mormon  colonists  in  Mexico.  In  order  to  understand 
the  pains  of  relinquishment,  we  have  to  know  what 
it  was  that  the   colonists  were  obliged  to  abandon. 

It  should  be  recognized  first  of  all  that  the  move  to 
Mexico  was  not  merely  a  private  and  personal  affair. 
The  Church  authorities  advised  polygamists  to  go  to 
this  new  country  and  actively  supported  their  emigra- 
tion. High  officials  were  sent  from  Church  head- 
quarters in  Salt  Lake  City  to  precede  the  colonists 
into  Mexico  and  look  for  areas  where  colonies  might 
be  established.  These  men  were  instructed  to  help 
the  emigrants  to  organize  colonization  companies  in 
order  to  purchase  tracts  of  land  and  lay  out  town- 
sites.  The  whole  endeavor  had  the  blessing  of  the 
Church. 

After  months  of  frustrating  efforts  to  find  land  with 
clear  titles  that  could  be  purchased,  the  agents  for  the 
colonists  finally  bought  50,000  acres  on  the  Piedras 
Verdes  River  and  60,000  acres  in  Diaz  and  Corrales. 
Then  the  immigrants,  who  had  been  making  shift  in 
tents  and  wagonboxes,  moved  onto  the  land.  It  had 
taken  almost  a  full  year  to  locate  the  sites  for  their 
settlements.  But  now  they  eagerly  set  to  work.  At 
Colonia  Juarez,  for  example,  they  constructed  dugouts 
along  the  river  bank  for  temporary  shelters,  laid  out 
a  townsite,  set  up  poles  with  woven  willows  and 
chinked  mud  for  a  meetinghouse  and  school  building, 
and  dug  a  canal  for  irrigation  water  for  their  land. 

Their  pleasure  in  accomplishment  suffered  a  severe 
blow  when  they  discovered  that  a  mistake  had  oc- 


curred in  the  survey  of  their  boundary  line  and  that 
all  of  their  improvements  had  been  made  on  the 
property  of  the  San  Diego  ranch.  With  heavy  hearts 
they  moved  from  the  smooth,  flat  land  they  had  been 
occupying,  with  its  deep  soil,  so  easy  to  till  and  irri- 
gate, up  to  the  mouth  of  the  canyon,  where  the  land 
sloped  off  over  uneven,  gravelly  benches  down  to 
the  river.  This  stream  ran  through  the  middle  of  the 
purchase,  presenting  a  formidable  barrier  to  the 
establishment  of  a  unified  and  well-planned  townsite. 
Once  again  the  settlers  laid  out  a  town  and  fields 
and  dug  another  canal  around  a  rocky  hillside  to  lead 
water  to  their  unpromising  acres.  Even  the  repeated 
shocks  of  an  earthquake,  which  tumbled  their  new- 
laid  chimneys,  failed  to  daunt  them.  And  when  they 
realized  that  the  heaving  of  the  earth  had  opened  up 
seams  along  the  riverbed  and  increased  the  flow  of 
water,  these  devout  souls  were  sure  that  the  Lord 
would  take  care  of  them.  The  later  discovery  that 
their  rough  and  rocky  bench  lands  were  ideally  suited 
to  the  raising  of  apples  such  as  were  unmatched  by 
any  others  grown  in  all  of  Mexico  only  convinced 
them  more  profoundly  that  they  were  indeed  the 
children  of  God. 

Their  town  was  named  Colonia  Juarez,  after  the 
great  Mexican  libertarian;  and  as  other  colonies  were 
established,  they  were  given  names  honoring  other 
Mexicans,  such  as  Diaz,  Dublan,  and  Garcia.  Within 
a  few  years  six  colonies  were  flourishing  in  the  state 
of  Chihuahua,  three  down  on  the  plateau— Colonia 
Juarez,  Colonia  Dublan,  and  Colonia  Diaz,  and  three 
in  the  Sierra  Tarahumare  Mountains— Pacheco,  Garcia, 
and  Chuichupa.  Two  colonies  also  sprang  up  in  the 
state  of  Sonora:  Colonia  Oaxaca  and  Colonia  Morelos. 
Other  smaller  settlements  were  established  here  and 
there,  but  these  were  hardly  large  enough  to  be  recog- 
nized as  towns. 

In  order  to  understand  more  clearly  the  action  in 
the  detailed  accounts  that  follow,  the  reader  should  be 
informed  of  the  location  of  the  colonies  with  relation 
to  each  other  and  to  the  United  States  border.  He 
might,  therefore,  look  upon  the  Chihuahua  colonies 
as  lying  like  beads  loosely  strung  on  a  thread  that 
had  been  flung  carelessly  from  the  New  Mexican 
border  town  of  Columbus  down  south  to  the  Sierra 
Tarahumare  Mountains.  Colonia  Diaz  would  be  the 
first  bead  on  the  strand,  lying  near  the  Mexican 
pueblo  of  La  Ascension,  some  fifty  or  sixty  miles  south 
of  the  border.  The  second  bead  would  be  Colonia 
Dublan,  a  good  sixty  miles  further  south  and  two  or 
three  miles  north  of  the  railroad  station  Nuevo  Casas 
Grandes.  Dublan  was  and  still  is  the  only  Mormon 
town  on  the  railroad.  The  thread  would  then  twist 
southwesterly,  through  the  old  Mexican  town  of  Casas 


August   1968 


11 


Grarides  about  four  miles  away  from  the  new  town, 
and  then  on  for  13  miles  to  Colonia  Juarez,  the  central 
gem  on  the  strand,  which  lay  adorning  the  slender 
stream  of  the  Piedras  Verdes  River.  Thirty-five  miles 
farther  south  and  west,  in  the  mountain  valleys,  one 
would  find  the  other  beads,  first  Colonia  Pacheco, 
then  eight  miles  farther  on,  Colonia  Garcia,  and 
finally,  Chuichupa,  25  miles  beyond.  One  settlement, 
however,  could  not  be  considered  a  bead  on  the 
strand.  This  was  Pearson,  a  lumber  town,  which 
had  been  established  by  an  English  financier.  It 
straddled  the  railroad  at  the  foot  of  the  mountains 
about  eight  or  ten  miles  south  of  Colonia  Juarez. 

All  of  these  Chihuahua  towns  lay  on  the  east 
side  of  the  Continental  Divide,  though  the  mountain 
settlements  were  not  distant  from  the  western  slopes 
of  the  Sierra  Tarahumares  and  the  state  of  Sonora. 
The  two  Sonora  colonies,  Morelos  and  Oaxaca,  would 
represent  loose  beads.  They  were  balanced  pre- 
cariously on  the  banks  of  the  treacherous  Bavispe 
River,  many  arduous  miles  of  travel  over  the  Conti- 
nental Divide  from  the  other  Mexican  colonies  and 
also  far  away  from  the  Arizona  towns  across  the  bor- 
der, Douglas  and  Bisbee. 

The  Mormon  settlements  stretched  deep  enough 
into  Mexico  to  allay  most  suspicions  among  natives 
that  here  was  another  group  of  Yanqui  settlers  who, 
like  the  Texans,  would  one  day  be  attempting  to 
split  off  another  big  chunk  of  Mexican  territory  in 
favor  of  absorption  into  the  United  States.  Yet  the 
towns  were  still  close  enough  to  the  border  to  preserve 
commercial  ties  with  houses  in  the  United  States 
rather  than  doing  all  of  their  business  with  merchants 
in  the  distant  cities  of  Mexico.  This  physical  situa- 
tion magnified  the  importance  of  the  Mormon  colonies 
far  beyond  what  their  humble  populations  would 
normally  have  commanded,  for  the  most  productive 
towns,  especially  Colonia  Juarez  and  Colonia  Dublan, 
became  the  supply  centers— willing  or  unwilling— 
for  various  troops  of  revolutionary  and  counter- 
revolutionary soldiers,  as  well  as  for  numerous 
knots  of  bandits. 

The  growth  of  the  Mormon  colonies  during  the 
25  years  preceding  the  Mexican  revolution  of  1910-20 
was,  by  Mexican  standards,  phenomenal.  Not  only 
did  the  Saints  manufacture  many  items  in  general 
demand  by  their  own  people,  such  as  shoes,  harnesses, 
saddles,  and  various  kinds  of  furniture,  but  they  also 
ground  much  more  than  enough  flour  for  themselves 
and  cut  vast  quantities  of  good  lumber  for  export  to 
El  Paso  as  well  as  for  use  in  the  mining  and  building 
industries  of  Chihuahua  and  Sonora.  They  had 
erected  fine  homes,  putting  on  the  Chihuahua  plateau 
the  old-fashioned   Mormon  stamp  of  tall,  red  brick 


They  had  created  an  economy 

in  this  adobe  land 

that  far  exceeded  anything 

immediately  north 

of  the  border. 

houses,  picket  fences,  broad  lawns,  and  flower  beds. 
Their  businesses  and  factories  were  thriving,  their 
sawmills  ran  full  time,  and  their  orchards  produced  the 
best  apples  in  the  nation.  Cattle  and  horses  multi- 
plied on  the  long  grass  of  their  upper  valleys.  Under 
the  approving  eye  of  President  Diaz,  they  were  pros- 
pering in  almost  every  way.  They  had  created  an 
economy  in  this  adobe  land  that  was  not  merely 
reminiscent  of  the  one  they  had  left  behind  in  Utah 
or  Arizona,  but  that  far  exceeded  in  growth  and  value 
anything  immediately  north  of  the  border,  with  the 
exception  of  El  Paso.  Such  towns  in  the  United  States 
as  Douglas  and  Columbus  were  mere  villages  by 
comparison. 

But  times  had  not  always  been  so  good  to  the 
colonists.  In  1910  they  could  sit  back  in  their  rocking 
chairs  at  night  before  the  red  coals  of  oak  wood  in 
the  fireplace  and  reminisce  about  the  hard  times  of 
two  decades  ago.  Life  was  easier  now.  It  was  good 
to  have  the  tough  part  over.  The  colonists  had  ad- 
justed well  to  their  new  environment,  and  life  was 
full  of  promise.  The  mutterings  of  social  unrest 
beyond  the  horizon  were  not  loud  enough  to  disturb 
peaceful  nightly  slumber.  Little  did  they  know  what 
awaited  them. 

EXODUS 

The  revolution,  which  had  its  genesis  with  Fran- 
cisco Madero,  was  slow  in  getting  underway.  But 
by  the  end  of  1910  Mormon  colonists  in  the  Chihua- 
hua settlements  were  beginning  to  feel  the  effects 
of  what  they  had  at  first  regarded  as  merely  an 
"insurrection."  Bridges  had  been  burned  on  the  rail- 
way that  linked  them  with  El  Paso,  temporarily  iso- 
lating them,  and  J.  J.  Walser  recorded  in  his  journal 
that  the  colony  of  Dublan  had  to  be  guarded  every 
night  to  prevent  revolutionist  stragglers  from  com- 
mitting depredations.  The  comment  carries  the 
implication  of  a  tendency  that  gradually  developed 
into  harsh  and  bitter  realities  as  winter  advanced. 

Nelle  S.  Hatch  records  how  the  situation  worsened 
as  the  revolution  began  to  envelop  her  home  town  of 
Colonia  Juarez: 

"First  there  was  a  restlessness  among  the  natives 


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which  found  vent  in  a  sudden  disrespect  for  law.  This 
attitude  was  at  first  felt  rather  than  seen.  Submission 
to  law  enforcement  became  tinged  with  resentment 
against  those  who  enforced  it,  a  challenge  of  authority. 
This  grew  into  overt  acts  of  insolence,  open  derision 
and  finally  into  petty  thievery.  Bands  of  revolutionists 
coming  into  town  to  request  help  from  businesses 
able  to  supply  revolutionary  needs  increased  this 
tendency  to  licensed  robbery.  Polite  requests  for 
horses,  saddles,  etc.,  from  the  Tanning  and  Manu- 
facturing Company,  sacks  of  flour  and  grain  from 
Skousen's  Mill,  and  merchandise  from  the  Colonial 
Mercantile,  turned  into  firm  demands.  Owners  of 
these  properties  were  forced  to  comply  and  to  accept 
in  payment  only  promises  or  written  agreements  that 
both  parties  knew  could  not  or  would  not  be  kept." 

In  1911  Madero  made  a  bold  attempt  to  get  the 
revolution  moving  by  attacking  Casas  Grandes,  which 
was  near  Colonia  Juarez  and  next-door  to  Colonia 
Dublan.  His  forces  won  the  battle  but  were  then 
immediately  overthrown  by  federal  reinforcements, 
who  arrived  at  the  crucial  moment  to  rout  the  rebel 
army.  Notwithstanding  the  defeat,  the  rebel  cause 
flared  into  life  in  many  parts  of  the  country.  Madero's 
courage  had  strongly  appealed  to  the  imagination, 
and  supporters  now  began  to  recognize  his  qualities 
as  a  leader  and  to  respond  to  them.  Not  long  thereafter 
Casas  Grandes  fell  into  rebel  hands  again. 

Meanwhile,  at  the  two  nearby  Mormon  colonies, 
rebel  factions  preyed  upon  the  settlements  with  little 
regard  for  the  feeble  efforts  at  control  exerted  by 
Inez  Salazar,  who  had  taken  over  command  at  Casas 
Grandes.  A  Mormon  attempt  to  capture  and  bring 
a  thief  to  punishment  in  Colonia  Juarez  resulted  in 
the  killing  of  Juan  Sosa.  And  the  incident  almost 
ignited  a  local  war  against  the  hated  gringo.  The 
seriousness  of  the  situation  can  be  deduced  from  the 
fact  that  a  trial  in  the  courtroom  was  disrupted  and 
four  Mormon  principals  were  taken  to  Nuevo  Casas 
Grandes,  where  they  were  rescued  at  the  last  moment 
from  an  angry  mob  by  Pascual  Orozco  and  Raul 
Madero.  Raul  was  the  future  president's  brother,  and 
Orozco  was  for  a  time  the  top  figure  among  revolu- 
tionary fighting  men.  No  lesser  persons  could  have 
saved  the  colonists. 

However,  as  soon  as  these  prominent  leaders  moved 
on,  local  rebel  bosses  renewed  their  attempts  to  pun- 
ish the  four  Mormons.  But  first  they  had  to  find  them, 
for  the  Mormons  hid  out  until  another,  graver  crisis 
obscured  their  own  particular  troubles.  As  Madero 
went  on  to  Mexico  City,  Orozco  was  left  behind,  and 
he  soon  defected  to  lead  a  rebellion  of  his  own.  His 
rebellion  came  into  the  open  in  February  1912,  and 
for  several  weeks  his  colorados,  or  "Red  Flaggers," 


Raul  Madero,  the 

future  president's  brother, 

helped  rescue 

four  Latter-day  Saints 

from  an  angry  mob. 

controlled  much  of  Chihuahua.  Pancho  Villa,  how- 
ever, had  remained  faithful  to  Madero.  And  now  the 
Mormon  colonists  saw  Villista  and  Red  Flagger  bands 
chase  each  other  into  the  hills  as  skirmishes  brushed 
their  towns.  Both  factions  depended  upon  the  indus- 
trious colonists  to  replenish  their  spent  supplies,  and 
both  demanded  guns,  horses,  saddles,  and  money  in  a 
never-ending  series  of  raids  and  intimidating  visits. 

Worried  and  frightened,  the  colonists  kept  appeal- 
ing to  Salazar,  who  had  gone  over  to  the  cause  of  the 
Liberales,  as  Orozco  called  his  Red  Flaggers,  to  pro- 
tect them  from  rebel  depredations.  But  Salazar 
either  did  not  want  to  protect  them  or  was  not  able 
to.  Consequently,  the  colonists,  forced  to  take  some 
kind  of  measures  to  save  themselves,  smuggled  in  two 
or  three  dozen  high-powered  rifles  and  ammunition 
with  which  to  defend  themselves  if  it  came  to  the 
worst.  Yet  their  first  attempt  to  bring  in  weapons 
illegally  not  only  miscarried  but  was  also  publicized. 
The  second,  therefore,  could  hardly  be  achieved  with- 
out detection.  In  any  case,  Salazar  was  soon  demanding 
a  count  of  guns,  and  shortly  afterward,  when  the  threat 
of  federal  attack  was  imminent,  he  ordered  the  de- 
livery of  all  of  the  guns  the  colonists  owned. 

Junius  Romney,  the  highest  Church  official  among 
the  Saints  in  Mexico,  refused  to  order  his  people 
to  give  up  their  guns,  whereupon  Salazar  declared 
Romney  to  be  his  prisoner  until  he  submitted  to  the 
demand.  Hot  words  were  exchanged,  •  but  when 
Salazar  threatened  to  send  Lino  Ponce  with  a  big 
squad  of  men  to  search  Mormon  homes  and  seize  all 
guns,  Romney,  fearing  for  the  safety  of  his  people, 
temporized.  He  would  request  his  men  to  deliver 
their  guns  to  a  central  location  if  Salazar  would 
guarantee  safe  passage  for  the  women  and  children 
from  the  colonies  on  the  trains  out  to  El  Paso.  Six 
cannons  in  place  on  flat  cars  at  Colonia  Dublan  with 
barrels  pointing  toward  the  town  and  the  threat  that 
the  Saints  would  be  treated  as  if  they  were  a 
federal  army,  subject  to  attack  in  the  same  way, 
convinced  the  Mormon  leader  that  he  would  have 
to  yield. 

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and  ammunition.  Ever  since  March  14,  1912,  an 
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CITY,  STATE,  ZIP. 


^ 


August   1968 


15 


States  to  Mexico  had  been  in  force.  In  late  May, 
Huerta  had  smashed  Orozco's  troops  at  the  second 
battle  of  Telleno,  and  now,  with  General  Jose  de  la 
Luz  Blanco  threatening  to  come  in  on  Casas  Grandes 
from  Sonora  on  the  west  and  General  Sanjines  bear- 
ing down  from  the  south,  Salazar  feared  that  he  would 
be  caught  in  a  pincers  movement  from  which  there 
would  be  no  escape.  In  desperation  he  had  to  have 
whatever  arms  were  present  in  the  nearby  country, 
and  he  would  take  them  by  force,  if  necessary. 

President  Romney's  decision  to  send  out  the  women 
and  children  came  so  suddenly  that  no  one  had  time 
for  adequate  preparation.  Some  families  from  Dublan 
left  town  on  the  same  day,  July  25,  1912,  fleeing 
precipitously  from  threatened  danger.  Yet  there  were 
many,  especially  in  Colonia  Juarez  and  the  mountain 
colonies,  who  felt  that  an  exodus  was  wrong  and  that 
they  could  continue  to  live  in  peace  in  their  homes  if 
they  would  pursue  a  course  of  undeviating  neutrality. 

Among  these  was  Bishop  Bentley,  but  his  behavior 
was  characteristic  of  devout  Mormons  everywhere.  In 
response  to  President  Romney's  call,  he  said,  "If  our 
stake  president's  advice  is  to  move  women  and  children 
to  a  place  of  safety,  mine  will  go  right  along  with  the 
others,  and  I'll  instruct  my  ward  members  to  do  the 
same.  No  matter  what  private  opinions  I  may  main- 
tain, I  know  that  safety  lies  in  obeying  the  priesthood, 
and  I  am  always  subject  to  its  direction." 

With  similar  regard  for  authority,  almost  all  Mor- 
mon families  hastened  to  make  ready  for  the  move  at 
once.  Very  little  could  be  taken  with  them.  Conse- 
quently, clothes  were  left  hanging  in  the  wardrobes, 
sheets  and  bedding  remained  in  the  drawers,  dishes 
on  the  shelves,  pictures  on  the  walls,  and  food  in  the 
cellars  and  pantry  bins.  Many  of  the  colonists  ex- 
pected to  come  back  within  a  few  days.  As  soon  as 
the  federal  troops  arrived,  the  revolution  would  be 
quelled,  and  they  could  settle  down  to  normal  living 
once  again. 

It  did  not  turn  out  that  way.  At  the  very  outset 
one  family  was  robbed  by  bandits  as  they  drove  in 
wagons  over  to  the  railroad  station  ten  miles  av/ay. 
Then  all  of  the  women  and  children,  as  well  as  the 
very  elderly,  were  crowded  into  cars  for  the  ride 
through  the  July  heat  across  the  desert  to  El  Paso. 
They  were  disembarked  beneath  the  sheds  of  an 
abandoned  lumberyard  on  the  banks  of  the  Rio  Grande 
without  funds,  without  privacy,  without  husbands  and 
fathers  or  any  plans  for  the  future.  Some  of  them  did 
go  back  to  Mexico  after  a  few  weeks,  but  they  fled 
again  as  trouble  flared  up  once  more.  Many  of  them 
never  saw  their  Mexican  homes  again. 

The  husbands  and  fathers,  who  had  stayed  at  home 
to  look  after  their  property,  were  themselves  called 


out  by  President  Romney  within  ten  days  after  the 
women  and  children  had  gone.  As  rebel  looting  and 
thievery  continued  at  Dublan,  the  chances  seemed 
to  multiply  that  some  colonists  would  reach  a  point 
beyond  which  they  would  stand  for  no  more  abuse  and 
would  retaliate  with  arms.  Then  on  August  1  the  rebel 
Captain  Caveda  blustered  into  town  at  the  head  of 
50  men,  and  with  threats  he  warned  the  men  in 
Colonia  Juarez  that  he  would  not  stand  for  the  killing 
of  any  more  of  his  men.  This  was,  no  doubt,  a  refer- 
ence to  the  execution  of  a  soldier  who  had  been  shot 
for  robbing  colonists  as  they  moved  the  women  and 
children  out  a  few  days  before.  It  mattered  little 
that  other  rebel  officers  had  ordered  the  execution. 
Mormon  leaders  were  blamed  as  the  "finger  men." 

It  looked  as  if  Caveda  was  spoiling  for  a  fight,  a 
situation  that  President  Romney  was  most  loathe  to 
see  develop.  Fearing  that  blood  would  be  shed,  he 
called  a  meeting  in  which  it  was  decided  to  leave 
Colonia  Juarez  for  a  while  rather  than  face  the  possi- 
bility of  violence. 

Runners  were  sent  to  alert  the  Mormons  on  both 
sides  of  the  river  and  tell  them  where  to  meet.  But 
when  the  appointed  time  came,  through  some  mis- 
understanding they  failed  to  get  together  as  they 
had  expected.  Some  of  the  men  did  not  even  get 
out  of  the  town,  while  President  Romney  and  others 
went  as  far  into  the  mountains  as  MacDonald  Springs. 
From  this  point  he  sent  word  calling  for  all  colonists 
to  meet  at  the  "stairs,"  a  well-known  point  in  the 
mountains.  Riders  were  dispatched  to  Garcia, 
Pacheco,  and  Chuichupa,  as  well  as  to  Colonia  Du- 
blan, with  the  summons. 

President  Romney  waited  for  the  men  from  the 
mountain  colonies  to  arrive,  but  at  last,  growing  im- 
patient, he  called  the  camp  to  assemble  for  a  meeting 
and  told  them  that  stake  and  ward  authorities  had 
been  discussing  the  question  of  abandoning  the 
colonies  and  going  out  to  the  border  to  join  their 
families  or  remaining  to  brave  it  out  in  Mexico.  He 
then  asked  all  who  wished  to  express  their  opinions 
on  the  matter  to  speak  up.  A  few  responded  briefly, 
but  soon  a  vote  was  taken  in  which  an  almost  unani- 
mous choice  was  expressed  for  exodus  to  the  United 
States. 

One  of  the  men  present  at  the  meeting,  J.  H. 
Martineau,  who  later  wrote  a  voluminous  history  of 
the  colonies  in  Mexico  that  has  not  yet  been  pub- 
lished, observed  that  the  result  of  the  vote  surprised 
almost  everybody:  "The  general  attitude  of  the 
colonists  except  some  from  Dublan,  where  the 
depredations  had  been  severe,  was  in  favor  of  remain- 
ing in  the  hills  a  few  days  or  even  weeks  until  the 
arrival  of  Generals  Blanco  and  Sanjines,  but  somehow 


J 


16 


Improvement  Era 


H 


,.'-":, 


we  had  voted  contrary  to  our  intentions." ' 

Now  the  die  was  cast,  and  President  Romney  sent 
word  to  the  still-absent  members  that  the  main  body 
would  move  on  toward  the  border  unless  the  men 
from  the  mountain  colonies  came  in  at  once.  This 
decision  was  shocking  to  Bishop  Bentley  and  Alonzo 
Taylor,  who  had  seen  the  rebel  forces  pull  out  of 
Colonia  Juarez  even  before  they  left  town.  With 
the  urgent  need  for  flight  gone,  these  two  could  not 
understand  abandonment  of  their  homes  for  the  un- 
certainty of  existence  across  the  border,  where  none 
of  the  basic  securities  of  life  were  visible.  No  houses, 
no  food,  no  jobs— nothing  beyond  the  bare  necessities 
that  charitable  townspeople  in  El  Paso  and  a  con- 
cerned federal  government  would  give  them  as  objects 
of  charity. 

Yet  go  out  they  did.  Bishop  Bentley  was  true  to 
his  upbringing.  When  his  superior  officer  in  the 
priesthood  uttered  a  call,  he  responded  loyally.  The 
whole  band  of  approximately  250  men  moved  like  a 
military  unit  to  the  border,  keeping  scouts  before 
them  and  a  rear  guard  behind,  and  organizing  them- 
selves into  small  groups  with  leaders  and  men  in 
clearly  recognized  chains  of  command.  But  once 
they  had  reached  the  border  and  met  with  Elder 
Anthony  W.  Ivins,  one  of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve 
from  Salt  Lake  City,  the  matter  was  talked  out,  and 
those  who  had  felt  that  they  might  have  done  better 
to  remain  in  Mexico  were  given  leave  without  preju- 
dice to  return  to  the  colonies  and  take  up  life  again 
on  their  own.     By  September  1,  Joseph  C.  Bentley 


Illustrated  by  Olinda  Hoehne 

and  about  35  other  men,  women,  and  children  were 
again  in  Colonia  Juarez,  harvesting  crops,  canning 
fruit,  and  trying  to  make  up  for  the  time  they  had 
lost. 


All  this  will  serve  as  an  overview  of  the  troubles 
through  which  the  colonists  struggled  during  the 
summer  of  1912.  In  what  follows,  however,  the 
camera  lens  zooms  in  on  a  few  key  figures,  whose 
participation  in  the  events  of  that  summer  should 
give  a  sharper  picture  of  the  nature  of  the  ordeal 
through  which  the  colonists  passed.  One  of  the  most 
robust  and  articulate  characters  among  the  Mormons 
in  Chihuahua  was  Dave  Brown,  an  almost  legendary 
figure  who  has  survived  and  lives  on  in  our  own 
effete  age.  His  voice  still  booms  as  he  recounts  the 
painful  nature  of  the  exodus  of  the  women  and 
children  from  their  homes  in  the  land  where  they 
had  found  refuge  from  the  United  States  marshals. 

The  flight  of  the  women  and  children  was  without 
doubt  the  most  traumatic  experience  suffered  by  the 
Mormons  as  a  group  during  the  revolution  in  Mexico. 
The  exodus  of  the  men,  approximately  one  week 
later,  was  by  comparison  an  anticlimax,  although  in 
many  respects  it  was  the  more  significant  move,  since 
it  marked  for  many  families  the  termination  of  their 
existence  in  Mexico.  But  how  the  women  and  children 
got  along  is  the  business  of  the  next  installment.  O 
(To  be  continued) 


August   1968 


17 


% 


9€    #g» 


Illustration  by  Dale  Kilbourn 


Beginning-  a  new  series  on  theThreeWitnesses 

Oliver 
Cowderys 

Non-Mormon 

Reputation 

By  Dr.  Richard  Lloyd  Anderson 

•  Oliver  Cowdery  played  an  extraordinary  role  in  the 
beginning  of  The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day 
Saints.    His  title  of  "second  elder"  was  appropriate, 
as  an  examination  of  incidents  in  which  he  was  promi- 
nent indicates:   the  translation  of  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon,   restoration   of   the    Aaronic    and    Melchizedek 
priesthoods,   printing   of   the   Book   of   Mormon,   the 
conversion  of  Sidney  Rigdon,  and  the  vision  of  the 
Christ  and  the  Old  Testament  prophets  in  the  Kirtland 
Temple.    Since  he  was  announced  as  the  sole  com- 
panion of  Joseph  Smith  in  the  foundation  experiences, 
no  one  else  stood  in  the  unique  position  of  being  able 
to  expose  Joseph  Smith  at  all  critical  points,  if  he 
could  be  exposed.  Because  whatever  Oliver  Cowdery 
reported  about  the  earliest  events  of  Mormonism  is 
of  the  greatest  significance,  it  is  most  important  to 
study  the  kind  of  man  he  was  and  assess  his  reliability. 
Oliver     Cowdery    was     respected     by     associates 
wherever  he  lived.    The  pinnacle  of  his  Latter-day 
Saint  career  was  in  Kirtland  in  1836,  when  he  was  a 
trusted  "assistant  president"  to  Joseph  Smith  and  was 
involved  on  many  practical  fronts  of  the  expanding 
LDS  movement.1  In  that  year  he  reassumed  the  editor- 
ship of  the  Church  newspaper,  arid  his  brother-in-law 
eharacterized  him  publicly   as  "a   man   of  piety,   of 
candor,  of  truth,  of  integrity,  of  feeling  for  the  welfare 
of  the  human  family,  and  in  short,  he  is  a  man  of 
God."la  Except  for  the  religious  connotations  of  such 
an  evaluation,  there  is  no  reason  to   think  that  the 
non-Mormon   community  of  the  Kirtland  region   felt 
differently. 

After  the  Mormons  left  northern  Ohio,  it  was 
fashionable  to  portray  them  as  less  than  respectable, 
but  Cowdery  is  conspicuous  by  his  absence  in  such 
negativism.    The  most  specific  recollection  of  a  non- 


improvement  Era 


Mormon  is  by  Samuel  Murdock.  Toward  the  end 
of  a  distinguished  career  as  attorney  in  Clayton 
County,  Iowa,  he  recalled  his  youth  in  the  Lake 
County,  Ohio,  area  at  the  time  of  the  Mormon  settle- 
ment there.  His  family  arrived  in  Ohio  in  1827,  and 
Murdock  evidently  participated  in  the  educational 
program  that  was  sponsored  by  the  Latter-day  Saints 
during  the  years  1835  through  1837.  Journals  of  many 
early  Mormons  mention  Sidney  Rigdon  and  on  occa- 
sion Joseph  Smith  as  teachers.  Although  no  journal 
yet  found  mentions  Oliver  Cowdery  as  a  regular  in- 
structor, he  was  a  trustee  of  the  school  as  a  member 
of  the  First  Presidency  of  the  Church,  and  it  is  known 
that  the  trustees  considered  instruction  under  their 
"immediate  care  and  inspection."-  As  a  young  man 
Samuel  Murdock  had  the  following  contact  with 
Oliver  Cowdery: 

"Kirtland  is  situated  in  the  county  in  which  I  was 
raised  from  youth  to  manhood,  and  at  the  time  Smith 
and  his  Mormons  settled  there  I  was  nearly  a  man 
grown,  and  some  of  them  were  my  immediate  neigh- 
bors, with  whose  children  I  was  often  schoolmates, 
and  I  often  met  their  prophet,  Joseph  Smith,  although 
I  was  not  personally  acquainted  with  him.  I  was, 
however,  intimately  acquainted  with  Mr.  Cowdery, 
one  of  his  scribes,  and  to  whom  I  was  indebted  for 
his  special  kindness  to  me,  as  well  as  for  the  many 
lessons  of  instruction  I  received  from  him  as  my 
preceptor  in  the  school  room,  and  a  Mormon  as  he 
was,  shall  ever  cherish  his  memory.  A  more  amiable, 
generous,  kindhearted  man,  I  have  not  met  since."' 

Although  Cowdery  was  prominent  in  Ohio,  the 
history  of  Mormonism  in  Missouri  is  written  with 
his  name  largely  in  footnotes.  Personally  hurt  in  his 
relationship  with  Joseph  Smith,  he  allied  himself  with 
his  Whitmer  relatives  in  differences  concerning 
Church  administration  in  Caldwell  County,  Missouri. 
lie  left  Far  West  prior  to  mob  violence  and  by  the 
end  of  that  year  found  his  way  back  to  Kirtland. 
In  the  decade  between  his  excommunication  from 
the  Church  in  1838  and  his  return  in  1848,  his 
name  is  absent  from  Mormon  annals. 

But  no  one  can  make  an  intelligent  appraisal  of 
Cowdery  as  a  person  without  knowing  a  good  deal 
about  his  non-Mormon  career.  By  failing  to  conform 
to  Church  discipline,  he  forfeited  his  title  of  "second 
elder"  and  exchanged  it  for  "Oliver  Cowdery, 
Esquire,"  the  traditional  designation  of  an  attorney- 
at-law.  Without  companionship  of  his  church  asso- 
ciates, he  nevertheless  belonged  to  the  fraternity  of 
fellow  attorneys,  who  admired  him  as  a  legal  crafts- 
man. During  his  non-Mormon  decade,  he  was  also  a 
politician,  journalist,  promoter  of  education,  and  civic 
servant.    The  opinions  of  his  friends  of  this  period 


show  clearly  that  he  was  widely  respected  as  a  man 
of  more  than  ordinary  stature. 

By  the  time  of  his  excommunication  on  April  12, 
1838,  Oliver  Cowdery  had  formulated  definite  plans 
for  the  practice  of  law.  The  only  question  was  where. 
He  exchanged  much  correspondence  with  his  brothers 
in  Kirtland  in  hopes  of  settling  in  the  same  vicinity, 
and  one  letter  states  his  ideal  of  professional  com- 
petence: 

"I  take  no  satisfaction  in  thinking  of  practicing  law 
with  a  half  dozen  books.  Let  us  get  where  people 
live,  with  a  splendid  library,  attend  strictly  to  our 
books  and  practice,  and  I  have  no  fear  if  life  and 
health  are  spared,  but  we  can  do  as  well  as,  at  least, 
the  middle  class."1 

After  experimenting  with  living  in  Missouri,  he 
decided  to  move  back  to  Kirtland,  where  his  brothers 
Warren  and  Lyman  were  beginning  their  careers  in 
the  field  of  law.  This  move  to  Kirtland  took  place 
at  the  end  of  1838,  and  by  January  1840  it  is  clear 
that  Oliver  Cowdery  was  practicing  law.5  The  year 
1839  was  undoubtedly  devoted  to  study  for  his  ad- 
mission to  the  bar,"  but  there  were  other  activities. 
His  biography  in  the  family  history  was  compiled 
with  access  to  information  from  his  widow,  Elizabeth 
Whitmer  Cowdery,  who  lived  until  1892,  and  it  says 
that  he  "supported  himself  by  teaching  school  while 
pursuing  his  study  of  the  law."7  If  this  phrasing  is 
strictly  correct,  then  Cowdery  taught  during  his  non- 
Mormon  stay  in  Kirtland.  Perhaps  this  is  why  he 
appears  as  secretaiy  of  one  of  the  organizational 
meetings  of  the  Western  Reserve  Teacher's  Seminary 
and  Kirtland  Institute,  which  utilized  the  Kirtland 
Temple  in  the  period  that  he  was  there. s 

Be  that  as  it  may,  Cowdery  was  active  in  the 
Democratic  Party  during  his  Kirtland  stay.  In  1839  he 
was  chosen  as  one  of  the  13  delegates  from  Geauga 
county  to  the  bi-county  senatorial  convention.9  The 
upset  victory  there  for  Benjamin  Bissell  is  most  inter- 
esting,1" since,  as  Joseph  Smith's  attorney  at  Kirt- 
land,    Bissell    was    well-acquainted    with     Mormon 


For    over    a    decade, 

Dr.    Richard    Lloyd    Anderson, 

professor   of   history   and 

religion   at   Brigham   Young 

University,    has    researched 

new   information   dealing 

with    the    witnesses    of 

the    Book    of    Mormon.     His 

interesting  and  stimulating 

findings  will  be  presented 

to  Era  readers 

in  the  months  ahead. 


August   196S 


19 


This  new  Amoco  120  SS  Radial 
Oval  tire  had  better  be  all  we  say 
it  is,  or  we  might  as  well 
say  goodbye  to  your 
gasoline  business. 


mprovement  Era 


And  we're  not  about  to  do  that.  We  say  our  new  Amoco®  120  SS  Radial  Oval 
tire  could  save  your  life.  An  exaggeration?  Consider  that  it  puts  six  plies 
between  you  and  the  road.  Consider  the  results  of  2  million  miles  of  road 
testing.  It  gives  you  twice  the  mileage  of  most  new  car  tires.  Three  times  the 
body  strength. 

Consider  its  open  groove  tread  that  grips  as  a  tire  has  never  gripped  the 
road  before. 

It's  even  a  reversible  tire.  Gives  you  a  red  stripe  on  one  side,  dual  white  on 
the  other. 

Now  you  can  understand  why  we're  willing  to  stake  your  gasoline  business 
on  this  tire.  The  world's  first  radial  oval.  And  we're  even  making  it  easy  to  buy. 
Use  your  American  Oil  Credit  Card  and  our  new  revolving  charge  plan. 

"You  expect  more  from  American,  and  you  get  it."* 
And  tires  are  no  exception. 


When  you  buy  a  tire  from  us,  we  both  live  with  it 


_  American  Oil  Company,  1968 
World's  largest  distributor  of  Atlas  tires 

•Trademark 
Trademark— "Atlas"— Reg.  U.S.  Patent  Off., 

Atlas  Supply  Co. 


August  1968 


21 


leaders.  He  is  .spoken  of  as  Cowdery's  patron  in 
introducing  him  to  law,  and  consequently  he  was 
the  likely  source  of  Cowdery's  recommendation  to 
the  Democratic  leaders  in  Tiffin,  Ohio,  where  Cow- 
dery  next  moved. 

The  spirited  presidential  campaign  of  1840  necessi- 
tated a  Democratic  paper  in  Seneca  County,  Ohio, 
and  both  a  press  and  an  editor  were  imported.  Cow- 
dery  was  chosen  for  that  job,  obviously  on  the  basis 
of  recommendations  of  prominent  Democrats  of  his 
Cleveland-Kirtland  region,  some  125  miles  northeast. 
A  prominent  Tiffin  politician  later  said  of  the  found- 
ing of  that  campaign  paper:  "Oliver  Cowdery  was 
to  have  been  editor,  but  was  dropped  on  the  discovery 
that  he  was  one  of  the  seven  founders  of  Mormon- 
ism."11  If  the  arithmetic  of  the  six  organizers  or  the 
11  witnesses  is  garbled,  the  recollection  is  clear  that 
a  Book  of  Mormon  witness  was  no  political  asset  and 
could  not  be  tolerated  in  a  local  party  post.  The 
fact  that  Oliver  Cowdery  nevertheless  remained  in 
Tiffin  for  seven,  years  and  earned  the  respect  of  a 
biased  community  says  a  good  deal  for  his  personal 
capacities  and  character.  Before  leaving  he  was  ap- 
pointed temporary  editor  of  the  Democratic  weekly 
and  was  publicly  thanked  in  its  columns  for  his 
"ability"  as  shown  in  "the  management  of  our  paper."1 - 

While  the  above  incident  illustrates  Cowdery's 
lifelong  talent  as  a  writer,  it  was  through  his  pro- 
fession as  a  lawyer  and  his  public  activities  that  he 
was  chiefly  known  while  in  Tiffin  from  1840  to  1847. 
The  courthouse  today  holds  files  of  legal  pleadings 
signed  "O.  Cowdery";  the  two  local  newspapers  of 
the  period  contain  both  his  lawyer's  advertisements 
and  the  notices  of  his  cases  requiring  publication. 
More  significantly,  two  colleagues  of  that  period  are 
on  record  with  their  estimate  of  the  man  and  his 
legal  talent. 

William  Lang  had  the  greater  personal  contact  with 
Cowdery,  because  he  apprenticed  in  his  office  for  the 
period  of  one  and  a  half  years.  Lang  was  a  self- 
reliant  man  of  25  at  the  beginning  of  his  period  of 
reading  law  in  the  Cowdery  office,  and  the  senior 
attorney  created  a  powerful  impression  upon  his  stu- 
dent. This  relationship  with  Cowdery  terminated  in 
1842  upon  Lang's  own  entrance  to  the  bar,  but  he 
associated  with  Cowdery  for  another  five  years,  both 
as  a  member  of  the  Seneca  County  Bar  and  in  the 
inner  circles  of  the  county  Democratic  organization. 
Lang's  lifetime  legal  career  was  supplemented  with 
public  service  as  prosecuting  attorney,  probate  judge, 
mayor  of  Tiffin,  county  treasurer,  and  two  terms  in 
the  Ohio  senate.  He  was  nominated  by  his  party  for 
major  state  offices  twice.  In  later  life  he  wrote  a 
History   of   Seneca   County,   in  which  he   expressed 


unlimited  admiration  for  the  "noble  and  true  man- 
hood" of  Oliver  Cowdery.  He  there  describes  Cow- 
dery personally  and  professionally: 

"Mr.  Cowdery  was  an  able  lawyer  and  a  great 
advocate.  His  manners  were  easy  and  gentlemanly; 
he  was  polite,  dignified,  yet  courteous.  He  had  an 
open  countenance,  high  forehead,  dark  brown  eye, 
Roman  nose,  clenched  lips  and  prominent  lower  jaw. 
He  shaved  smooth  and  was  neat  and  cleanly  in  his 
person.  He  was  of  light  stature,  about  five  feet,  five 
inches  high,  and  had  a  loose,  easy  walk.  With  all  his 
kind  and  friendly  disposition,  there  was  a  certain 
degree  of  sadness  that  seemed  to  pervade  his  whole 
being.  His  association  with  others  was  marked  by 
the  great  amount  of  information  his  conversation 
conveyed  and  the  beauty  of  his  musical  voice.  His 
addresses  to  the  court  and  jury  were  characterized  by 
a  high  order  of  oratory,  with  brilliant  and  forensic 
force.  He  was  modest  and  reserved,  never  spoke  ill 
of  any  one,  never  complained."1'1 

The  other  Tiffin  attorney  who  left  written  recollec- 
tions of  Cowdery  was  William  Harvey  Gibson.  It  is 
an  adequate  introduction  to  him  to  note  that  a  statue 
in  his  honor  stands  in  front  of  the  courthouse.  He 
won  considerable  fame  as  a  civil  war  general,  but 
the  statue  commemorates  his  more  famous  achieve- 
ment as  an  orator  and  nationally  known  campaign 
speaker  in  the  late  nineteenth  century.  Although 
Gibson  was  involved  in  a  state  scandal  and  resigned 
his  elective  office  of  treasurer  of  Ohio  in  1857,  no 
doubt  remains  that  he  won  back  a  creditable  reputa- 
tion as  Tiffin's  most  famous  citizen.  An  active  lawyer 
from  1845  to  1872  and  a  seasoned  businessman  after- 
ward, he  evaluated  Cowdery  from  the  vantage  point 
of  a  fellow  attorney  and  political  opponent.  In  a 
letter  designed  for  publication  in  1892,  Gibson  said, 
"Cowdery  was  an  able  lawyer  and  [an]  agreeable, 
irreproachable  gentleman."1 ' 

Of  Cowdery's  considerable  public  service  in  his 
Tiffin  career,  most  consistent  and  significant  is  his 
service  as  a  member  of  the  Board  of  School  Examiners 
of  Seneca  County.  Both  William  Lang  and  William 
H.  Gibson's  wife  remembered  his  questioning  them 
for  certification  to  teach.  Another  individual  of  some 
ability  attended  one  of  these  public  examinations 
that  Cowdery  and  two  other  trustees  administered 
and  reported,  "I  must  acknowledge  myself  not  a  little 
instructed,  though  but  a  spectator."15  The  court  files 
also  reveal  that  Cowdery  was  prominent  in  testing 
candidates  for  admission  to  the  bar,  so  it  is  clear 
that  he  displayed  lifelong  interest  and  ability  as  an 
educator. 

Several  remarkable  estimates  of  Cowdery  as  a 
person  stem  from  his  political  activities  in  two  states 


22 


Improvement  Era 


QP£N    jj  :|  SUPER 

tMM$9«|  OCTAVE  ■   CUtNT    ■  OCTAVE  I,.  KiXTUI 

8' I  4'122/3'|  2' 


fLAUTQ 
DOLCE 


How  much  should  you  pay 
for  an  organ  with  these  stops? 


Pictured  are  the  stops  of  a  Great  Diapason 
Chorus,  Pedal  work  to  adequately  support  it, 
Flute  work  on  the  Swell,  and  Strings  on  the 
Swell. 

These  stops  alone  can  give  you  a  rich  vari- 
ety of  tonal  effects. 

But  they  are  just  part  of  the  tonal  make-up 
of  the  Baldwin  Model  6.  All  told,  the  organ 
has  35  stops.  In  addition  to  those  shown 
above  on  the  Great  there  are  Gedeckts  at  8' 
and  4'  pitches,  a  Dulciana,  Unda  Maris,  and 
a  Trumpet  and  Clarinet  at  8'.  To  supplement 
the  Pedals  shown  above,  there  is  a  16'  Sub 
Bass,  8'  Bourdon,  V  Block  Flute,  16'  Posaune, 

August  1968 


luuimimimiffi 


Baldwin 


8'  Trumpet  and  4'  Schalmei.  And  the  addi- 
tional stops  on  the  Swell  are  8'  Diapason, 
Mixture  IV,  16'  Fagott,  8'  Trompette,  8'  Oboe 
and  4'  Clarion. 

Each  of  these  stops  is  tonally  independent. 
Each  is  programmed  through  various  chan- 
nels of  the  three-channel  amplification  sys- 
tem to  deliver  good  acoustical  results. 

All  right,  "How  much  should  you  pay?" 
We  think  our  price  for  the  Baldwin  Model  6 
in  the  area  of  $6500  is  remarkably  reasona- 
ble. If  you  think  so  too,  and  would  like  more 
information,  just  write  Baldwin,  Dept.  IE  8-68, 
Cincinnati,  Ohio  45202. 

23 


while  out  of  the  Church.  In  Tiffin,  Ohio,  he  was 
regularly  before  the  public  as  an  active  party  worker, 
public  speaker,  and  occasional  candidate  for  civil 
office.  In  1842,  1844,  and  1845,  he  was  elected  by  the 
party  township  meeting  as  delegate  to  the  Democratic 
county  convention.  In  all  these  years  he  was  named 
on  the  resolutions  committee  at  the  county  convention 
because  of  his  characteristic  role  as  an  articulate  party 
spokesman.  He  was  regularly  sent  to  political  rallies 
as  a  persuasive  stump  speaker.  In  1845  he  was  elected 
as  one  of  three  township  trustees,  defeating  his 
nearest  opponent  by  a  26  percent  vote  margin.1 '; 
In  his  last  year  of  political  activity  in  Tiffin,  1846, 
Cowdery  was  promoted  for  the  office  of  state  senator 
at  a  tri-county  convention  by  a  dozen  delegates  who 
were  loyal  to  him  through  two  ballots.17  At  an  early 
point  of  his  stay  in  Tiffin,  Cowdery  had  written 
Brigham  Young  that  he  labored  to  produce  "a  fair 
reputation  and  a  fair  business,"1"  and  his  solid  political 
career  in  Seneca  County  shows  the  continued  truth 
of  that  statement. 

The  year  that  the  Latter-day  Saints  migrated  west, 
Cowdery  moved  also,  mainly  for  reasons  of  health 
(perhaps  tuberculosis).  He  located  at  Elkhorn,  Wis- 
consin, where  he  was  attracted  by  the  personal 
association  and  established  law  practice  of  his  brother 
Lyman.  It  is  characteristic  that  his  first  known  letter 
from  Wisconsin  is  from  the  state  capital,  where  he 
initiated  contact  with  a  chief  justice  and  a  key 
Democratic  editor.111 

His  career  had  three  phases  in  the  year  spent  in 
Wisconsin  prior  to  his  returning  to  the  Church.  First 
of  all,  he  continued  his  profession  as  a  lawyer.  The 
minutes  of  the  Walworth  County  commission  reveal 
that  he  was  granted  an  office  in  the  courthouse 
October  3,  1847;,  the  two  known  surviving  issues  of 
Elkhorn  papers  for  that  period  contain  his  law  adver- 
tisement: "O.  Cowdery,  Attorney  &  Counsellor  at 
Law";  and  court  records  include  a  number  of  his 
cases.  Second,  for  a  few  months  prior  to  rejoining 
the  Church  he  was  co-editor  of  the  Walworth  County 
Democrat.'1"  A  neighboring  party  newspaper  acknow- 
ledged his  appointment  by  observing,  "Mr.  Cowdery 
is  highly  spoken  of  as  an  editor."-' 

The  third  activity,  politics,  provides  the  most  im- 
pressive evidence  of  what  associates  thought  of  Oliver 
Cowdery  while  away  from  the  Church.  With  less 
than  a  year  of  residence  in  Elkhorn,  he  was  nomi- 
nated as  state  assemblyman  in  the  first  voting  under 
the  state  constitution  of  Wisconsin.  This  election  in 
the  spring  of  1848  was  characterized  by  the  pre- 
dictable campaign  smears  for  which  Cowdery's 
Mormon  background  left  him  vulnerable. 

With  no  copies  of  local  newspapers  of  that  period 


still  available,  the  political  infighting  must  be  re- 
constructed from  borrowed  articles.  The  Whig  paper 
of  Cowdery's  district  first  noted  that  Democrats  had 
nominated  "one  of  the  three  witnesses  to  the  discovery 
of  the  Golden  Plates,  or  Mormon  Bible,  by  Joe 
Smith."--  It  next  ran  liberal  extracts  from  the  Book 
of  Mormon,  undoubtedly  including  the  testimony  of 
the  three  witnesses,  which  were  the  basis  of  personal 
sarcasm  against  Cowdery  not  only  in  the  Elkhorn 
Western  Star,  but  elsewhere.'- :;  Since  the  campaign 
was  short,  the  timing  of  the  vicious  personal  attack 
on  Cowdery  resulted  in  much  of  his  defense  reaching 
print  after  the  election.  He  was  defeated,  but  by  only 
40  votes  out  of  about  500  total  votes  cast,  which 
under  the  circumstances  was  both  a  moral  victory 
and  a  vindication  of  the  man. 

Considering  the  unpopularity  of  Mormonism, 
Cowdery's  Democratic  associates  might  have  chosen 
to  respond  to  attacks  on  him  with  silence  or  even  a 
disavowal  of  their  candidate.  Yet  Horace  A.  Tenney, 
then  editor  of  the  important  Wisconsin  Argus  in 
Madison  and  later  a  man  of  respectable  public  service 
to  his  state,  deplored  the  defeat  of  "a  man  of  sterling 
integrity,  sound  and  vigorous  intellect,  and  every  way 
worthy,  honest  and  capable."21  Tenney  had  conversed 
with  Cowdery  personally,  as  well  as  corresponded 
with  him,  so  his  opinion  is  a  matter  of  more  than 
casual  impression. 

The  most  significant  defense  of  Oliver  Cowdery, 
however,  came  from  John  Breslin,  his  close  associate 
in  Tiffin,  Ohio.  Breslin  had  assumed  the  editorial 
post  initially  offered  to  Cowdery  and  had  constantly 
promoted  and  defended  him  in  the  Seneca  Advertiser. 
A  brilliant  young  man  in  Ohio  politics,  Breslin  was 
elected  in  1848  to  the  Ohio  House  of  Representatives, 
where  he  was  chosen  speaker.  He  subsequently  was 
reelected  as  representative  and  later  elected  state 
treasurer.  While  in  that  office  he  made  private 
investments  of  state  funds  (an  action  somewhat 
condoned  by  contemporary  practice),  but  he  was 
ruined  politically  in  1857  when  the  money  invested 
was  uncollectable.-n  But  the  personal  mistake  of 
Breslin  is  quite  irrelevant  to  his  judgment  on  Cow- 
dery prior  to  this  scandal,  especially  since  Breslin's 
open  approval  of  Cowdery  points  to  considerable 
public  opinion  in  agreement  with  him.  Immediately 
upon  hearing  that  Cowdery's  Mormonism  was  the 
basis  of  personal  attacks  upon  him  in  Wisconsin, 
Breslin  published  an  article  deploring  the  "baseness 
of  such  a  course"  of  attack;  and  in  another  article, 
entitled  "Oliver  Cowdery,  Esq.,"  he  insisted  on  the 
capability  and  integrity  of  his  friend: 

"Mr.  C.  was  a  resident  among  us  for  a  period  of 
seven  years,  during  which  time  he  earned  himself  an 


24 


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All  the  things  that  contribute  to  total  gasoline  performance  are 
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(under  the  Standard  sign) 


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25 


enviable  distinction  at  the  Bar  of  this  place  and  of 
this  Judicial  circuit,  as  a  sound  and  able  lawyer,  and 
as  a  citizen  none  could  have  been  more  esteemed. 
His  honesty,  integrity,  and  industry  were  worthy  the 
imitation  of  all,  whilst  his  unquestioned  legal  abilities 
reflected  credit  as  well  upon  himself  as  upon  the 
profession  of  which  he  was  a  member."-0 

Although  Cowdery  had  initially  planned  to  come 
back  to  the  Church  at  the  April  conference  of  1848, 
his  Wisconsin  nomination  obviously  altered  this  deci- 
sion and  postponed  the  return  to  late  October,  when 
he  arrived  at  Kanesville,  Iowa,  the  "eastern"  head- 
quarters of  the  Church.  Migration  to  Utah  that 
fall  was  out  of  the  question,  so  economic  reality 
dictated  his  wintering  with  Elizabeth  Whitmer  Cow- 
dery's  relatives  some  250  miles  southeast,  in  Rich- 
mond, Missouri.  Since  his  chronic  lung  condition 
left  him  too  weak  to  cross  the  plains  and  had  reduced 
his  finances,  he  was  forced  to  continue  his  stay  in 
Richmond  for  the  year  1849.  Research  has  so  far 
failed  to  find  evidence  that  he  practiced  law  there. 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  for  a  considerable  portion  of  that 
year  he  was  bedridden,  and  in  early  spring  of  1850, 
his  weakened  physical  condition  brought  his  death 
(March  3,  1850). 

The  three  Mormon  periodicals  noting  Oliver  Cow- 
dery's  death  did  so  either  in  brief  comment  or  by 
way  of  reference  to  his  early  prominence  in  the 
Church.  Until  his  brief  reunion  with  former  friends 
on  his  return  to  the  Church,  the  Latter-day  Saints 
were  basically  unaware  of  his  non-Mormon  achieve- 
ments. But  he  had  created  a  marked  impression  upon 
leading  men  wherever  he  lived.  Though  hardly  a 
resident  of  Richmond,  where  he  died,  the  circuit  court 
and  bar  awarded  him  the  normal  honor  of  a  prac- 
ticing attorney  in  good  standing.  Adjourning  all 
business  in  honor  of  his  funeral,  it  passed  a  resolution 
of  condolence  on  behalf  of  "his  afflicted  widow  and 
daughter,"  and  expressed  regret  that  "in  the  death  of 
our  friend  and  brother,  Oliver  Cowdeiy,  his  profes- 
sion has  lost  an  accomplished  member,  and  the 
community  a  reliable  and  worthy  citizen."27  Perhaps 
it  is  strange  to  those  accustomed  to  modern  communi- 
cation that  publicity  of  his  death  was  not  given 
in  Salt  Lake  City  until  some  four  months  afterward, 
when  it  was  printed  in  the  first  issue  of  the  Deseret 
News.  However,  the  news  did  not  reach  his  main 
non-Mormon  home  at  Tiffin,  Ohio,  until  some  eight 
months  after  his  death.  Breslin  immediately  head- 
lined a  story  "Death  of  Oliver  Cowdeiy,"  in  which 
he  expressed  sorrow  at  the  passing  of  "our  much 
esteemed  friend  and  former  fellow  citizen."  More 
important  than  the  few  circumstantial  details  in  this 
article  is  the  final  judgment  of  Oliver  Cowdery  by 


the  friends  who  knew  him  best  while  he  was  out  of 
the  Church: 

"His  numerous  acquaintances  at  this  place  will 
receive  the  tidings  of  his  decease  with  much  regret. 
He  was  a  man  of  more  than  ordinary  ability,  and 
during  his  residence  among  us  had  endeared  himself 
to  all  who  knew  him  in  the  private  and  social  walks 
of  life."28 

Such  a  man  publicly  insisted  that  he  and  the 
Prophet  Joseph  Smith  on  several  occasions  stood  in 
the  presence  of  divine  messengers  who  brought 
revelation  and  authority  to  establish  The  Church  of 
Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  O 

FOOTNOTES 

1Although  the  title  "assistant  president"  is  loosely  equated  with 
"counselor"  in  early  sources,  it  is  clear  that  Oliver  Cowdery's  position 
as  "Second  Elder"  meant  that  he  "preceded  the  counselors  in  the  First 
Presidency  in  authority.  .  .  ."  ( Joseph  Fielding  Smith,  Doctrines  of 
Salvation,  comp.  Bruce  R.  McConkie  [Salt  Lake  City:  Bookcraft,  1954], 
Vol.  1,  p.  212.)  The  main  scriptural  sources  for  this  conclusion  are 
his  early  designation  as  second  in  authority  (D&C  20:3)  and  the  1841 
appointment  of  Hyrum  Smith  to  the  "gifts  of  the  priesthood,  that  once 
were  put  upon  him  that  was  my  servant  Oliver  Cowdery"  (D&C  124:95), 
a  position  distinguished  in  the  latter  revelation  from  that  of  the  coun- 
selors in  the  First  Presidency. 

i« Messenger  and  Advocate,   Vol.   2    (March   1836),  p.   236. 

"Messenger  and  Advocate,  Vol.  1  (February  1835),  p.  80.  Com- 
pare Joseph  Smith,  History  of  the  Cliurch  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day 
Saints  (2nd  ed.;  Salt  Lake  City,  1948),  Vol.  2,  pp.  474-75,  which 
describes  a  public  examination  in  January  1837,  of  the  "Kirtland  High 
School,"   at  which   "the  trustees   of  the   school"  were  present. 

"Dubuque  Times,  April  16,  1893.  Only  Oliver  Cowdery  fits  the 
description  of  one  intimate  with  Joseph  Smith  and  one  of  his  scribes. 
A  convenient  reprinting  of  this  article  is  found  in  R.  Etzenhouser,  From 
Palmyra,  New  York,  1830,  to  Independence,  Missouri,  1894  (Indepen- 
dence,  Missouri,    1894),  pp.   338-41. 

"•Letter  of  Oliver  Cowdery  to  his  brothers  Warren  and  Lyman,  Far 
West,  Missouri,  June  2,  1838.  Still  in  private  hands,  the  letter  was 
reproduced  photographically  by  Stanley  R.  Gunn,  Oliver  Cowdery 
(Bookcraft:    Salt   Lake  City,    1962),   pp.  263-66. 

sThe  first  known  case  is  advertised  under  the  name  "L.  &  O.  Cow- 
dery" with  the  publication  date  of  January  20,  1840,  in  the  Painesville 
Republican.  The  notice  of  the  case  is  preserved  in  the  issue  of  January 
28,    1840. 

"William  Lang,  who  knew  Cowdery  personally,  says  that  he  came 
to  Ohio  as  a  young  man  "and  enteied  the  law  office  of  Judge  Bissell, 
a  very  distinguished  lawyer  in  Painesville,  Lake  county,  as  a  student, 
and  was  admitted  to  practice  after  having  read  the  requisite  length  of 
time  and  passed  an  examination."  (History  of  Seneca  County  [Spring- 
field, Ohio,  1880],  p.  364.)  Whether  Lang  really  knew  the  details  of 
Cowdery's  pie-Tiffin  period  is  open  to  question.  There  is  no  evidence 
that  Cowdeiy  resided  in  Painesville,  although  he  was  undoubtedly 
assisted  by  Bissell. 

7Mary  Bryant  Alverson  Mehling,  Cowdrey-Cowdery-Cowdray  Gene- 
alogy (1905),  p.  173. 

"Painesville  Telegraph,  November  29,  1838. 

'■'Painesville  Republican,  September  26,   1839. 

"Ibid.,  October  3,  1839. 

""Letter  From  General  W.  H.  Gibson,"  Seneca  Advertiser  (Tiffin. 
Ohio),  April  12,   1892. 

^Seneca  Advertiser,  February   19,   1847. 

'^William  Lang,  History  of  Seneca  County  (Springfield,  Ohio, 
1880),  p.  365.  In  evaluating  Lang's  opinion  of  Cowdery,  it  must  be 
admitted  that  he  shows  a  distinct  critical  ability  in  appraising  the 
qualities  of  his  fellow  attorneys  in  the  Seneca  County  bar. 

""Letter  from   General  W.   H.  Gibson,"  op.  cit. 

ir,Scncca  Advertiser,  October  14,   1842. 

'"Ibid.,  April   11,   1845. 

"Ibid.,  August  7,  1846. 

,sLetter  of  Oliver  Cowdery  to  Brigham  Young  and  Willard  Richards, 
Tiffin,  Ohio,  December  25,  1843,  copied  in  Journal  History  of  that  date, 
and  cited  by  Gunn,  Oliver  Cowdery,  p.  179. 

'""Letter  from  Wisconsin,"  May  18,  1847,  Seneca  Advertiser,  June 
18,    1847. 

-°Issues  of  January  19,  1848,  and  August  4,  1848,  contain  his  law 
advertisements.  The  masthead  of  the  latter  issue  also  lists  him  as  co- 
editor. 

-'Racine  Advocate,  July  26,   1848. 

--Milwaukee  Sentinel,  April   13,    1848. 

-■Ibid.,  April  29,    1848. 

■^Wisconsin  Argus,  May  16,   1848. 

-•"'William  H.  Gibson,  his  brother-in-law  and  successor  in  the  same 
office,  was  also  discredited  in  this  incident  because  he  had  bought  time 
for  Breslin  to  repay  by  not  revealing  the  deficit  at  the  beginning  of  his 
own  term. 

-''Seneca  Advertiser,  May  5,  1848.  This  article  was  copied  verbatim 
as  an  endorsement  in  the  Walworth  County  Democrat  and  then  repub- 
lished (May  30,  1848)  by  Horace  A.  Tenney  in  the  Wisconsin  Argus 
at  Madison  several  weeks  after  Cowdery's   defeat. 

-'Circuit  Court  Record,  Ray  County,  Missouri,  Book  C,  p.  190 
(entry  March  5,   1850). 

-^Seneca  Advertiser,  November   1,   1850. 


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Salt  Lake  City,  Utah -841 09 


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61  Beacon  Ave.,     Layton,  Utah 


Melvin  P.  Randall 

Manager,  L.D.S,  Department 
294-1025 


THE   LEADING   L.D.S.    FUNERAL   DIRECTORS   OF   SOUTHERN    CALIFORNIA 

Every  L.D.S.  service  personally  ar- 
ranged, supervised  and  directed  by 
these  leading  L.D.S.  Funeral  Directors. 

A  staff  of  12  competent  L.D.S. 
men  and  women  to  assist  you. 

Regardless  of  where  you  own  cemetery 
property,  call  Pierce  Brothers  for 
"THE  PERFECT  TRIBUTE" 

Los  Angeles,  Phone  213-749-4151 


Wallace  R.  Reid 

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254-1212     Associate 


August    1968 


27 


Track  Coaches  Officer 

Clarence  F.  Robison, 
track  coach   at  Brigham 
Young  University  and 


a     Regional    Representative 
of  the  Council  of  the 
Twelve,   has  been  elected 
president  of  the  United 
States  Track  Coaches 
Association.    This  year  he 
served  as  acting  president 
during  the  National 
Collegiate  Athletic  Associa- 
tion track  and  field 
championships  at 
Berkeley,  California.    In 
national  competition 
Brother    Robison's   teams 
have  placed  second,  third, 
and  fourth  (twice)  in 
the  past  four  years. 


The  IDS  Scene 


Assistant  Administrator 

Dr.  Frank  D.  Day,  formerly 
Atlantic  Coast  district 
coordinator  of  seminaries 
and  institutes  of  religion, 
has  been  appointed 
assistant  administrator  of 
seminaries    and    institutes. 
Brother  Day,  who  has 
served   also   as  seminary 
principal  and  institute 


director,  will  assist  in 
the  week-day  religious 
education  of  over  150,000 
youth  of  the  Church, 
under  the  direction  of 
William    E.    Berrett, 
administrator. 


LDSSA  Director 

Elder   Marion   D.    Hanks, 
Assistant  to  the  Council   of 
the  Twelve  and  editor 
of  the  Era  of  Youth,   has 
been     appointed     managing 
director  of  the  Latter-day 
Saint  Student  Association. 
The  association   is  an 
organization    of  the    Church 
designed  to  relate  all 
phases  of  Church   activity 
to  college  students,  and 
assists    in    the    implementa- 
tion of  priesthood  and 
auxiliary  objectives. 


Governor  Reagan  Receives  Era 

A  subscription  to  The  Improvement  Era  has  been 
presented  to  California  governor  Ronald   Reagan  by  Elders 
Charles  E.  Cripps  and  Kenyon  Hyatt  of  the  Western 
States  Mission.     They  made  the  presentation  in 
Albuquerque,  New  Mexico,  where  Governor  Reagan  was 
on  a  speaking  assignment. 


CPA  Vice  President 

J.  Will  Lewis  of  the 
Winder  Ward  in  Salt  Lake 
City  has  been  installed 
as  vice   president   of  the 
National  Association  of 
Accountants    at   an    interna- 
tional conference  held 
in  New  Orleans.     The 
64,000-member  association 
is  the  largest  accounting 
organization  in  the 
world.    Brother  Lewis  has 
served  three  years  on 
the  association's  national 
board  of  directors. 


28 


Improvement  Era 


Annual  MIA  Conference 

Thousands  of  Mutual  Improvement  Association  officers 
and  teachers  from  all  parts  of  the  Church  attended 
the  general  sessions  and  department  workshops  of  the  69th 
annual  MIA  June  Conference.    Many  of  the  General 


Authorities  participated.    Activities  included  the 
traditional  reception  line,  a  new  parent-youth  production, 
and  the  annual  pre-conference  camp 
day  program  in  East  Millcreek  Canyon. 


BYU  Ambassadors  Abroad 

Brigham  Young  University  and  the  Church  were 

represented  throughout  the  world  during  the  summer  months 

by  seven  talented  groups  of  Brigham  Young  University 

students.     An  18-man  track  team  and  a  six-man 

tennis  team  toured  Europe  in  July.     The  track  team, 

coached  by  Clarence  Robison,  faced  competition  in 

England,   Ireland,  Germany,  Sweden,  Finland,  and 

Switzerland.     The  tennis  team 

faced  teams  in  England,  Holland,  Italy,  France, 

Monaco,   and  Portugal.    The  a  capella  choir  toured   Europe 

throughout  June  and  July.    A  dramatic  arts  production, 

"Bye  Bye  Birdie,"  toured  Europe  in  early  spring. 

In  June  a  variety  show,  "Y's  Five,"  toured  armed  service 

outposts  in  Canada  and  along  the  DEW  line.     In 

July  and  August  another  variety  show,  "Startime  BYU," 

has  been  touring  the  Orient.  The  International  Folk  Dancers 

toured  Europe  in  June  and  July  for  their  fourth 

tour  of  folk  dance  festivals  and  competition. 


Nauvoo  Temple  Excavations 

Excavators  of  Nauvoo  Restoration,  Inc., 
a  Church-owned  corporation  for  the 
development    of    Nauvoo,    Illinois,    early 
headquarters  of  the  Church,  have 
discovered    part    of    the    stone    basement 
floor  of  the  Nauvoo  Temple.    The 
stones  were  laid  on  a  sand  base 
without   mortar,   and   confirm  existing 
sketchy  reports  that  the  Saints  in 
the   1840-46   period   at   Nauvoo   put   a 
basement  floor  in  the  temple.     Also 
discovered  in  the  excavations  was 
part  of  a  leg  of  a  stone  ox  that  upheld 
the  baptismal  font. 


August  1968 


29 


I 


cMafor  Genealogical  ^Record Sources  in 

THE  NETHERLANDS 


Continuation 
of  the 
series 
on  new 
research 
papers 


Prepared  by  the  Research 
Department  of  the 
Genealogical   Society 


There  are  excellent  genealogical  sources  available  for  research  in  The  Netherlands.  The 
researcher  may  choose  from  a  variety  of  sources,  some  more  valuable  than  others.  As  in 
most  European  countries,  the  parish  records  can  be  considered  the  most  important  and 
most  valuable  research  source  before  the  civil  registers  were  introduced  by  law  in  1811. 
After  1811  the  researcher  should  use  the  civil  registers  and  population  registers  because 
they  contain  more  detailed  genealogical  information.  For  information  prior  to  1811, 
the  parish  records  should  be  searched,  and  as  a  supplement  the  various  sources  found  in 
the  state  archives  (rijksarchieven)  and  city  archives  in  each  province. 

Following  are  valuable  printed  references  and  guides : 

De  Rijksarchieven  in  Nederland  (The  State  Archives  in  The  Netherlands),  ('s  Gravenhage:  Minis- 
terie  van  Onderwijs,  Kunsten  en  Wetenschappen,  1953),  404  pp.,  index.  A  catalog  of  the  state 
archives  giving  the  titles  of  their  holdings. 

Hoe  vindt  me  zijn  voorouders  in  de  Nederlandse  archieven  (How  to  find  Dutch  ancestors  in  the 
archives),  (Amsterdam:  Nederlandse  Genealogische  Vereniging,  1961),  183  pp.,  index.  Gives  in- 
formation on  what  types  of  records  are  available  in  the  archives  and  what  information  the  rec- 
ords contain. 

H.  Brouver,  oud-Hoofdarchivist  bij  Het  Algemeen  Rijksarchief  te  's  Gravenhage,  Geschreven  Ver- 
leden  (Genealogy  and  old  script),  ('s  Gravenhage:  Europese  Bibliotheek,  1963).  Gives  informa- 
tion pertaining  to  various  genealogical  records  and  their  contents;  also  a  brief  introduction  to 
early  Dutch  handwriting. 

Jhr.  Mr.  Dr.  E.  A.  van  Beresteyn,  Genealogisch  Repertorium,  3  Vols.,  ('s  Gravenzande:  Het  Cen- 
traal  Bureau  voor  Genealogie,  1962).  Master  index  to  genealogical  publications,  listing  family 
names  with  the  source  where  the  name  can  be  found. 

K.  ter  Laan,  Aardrijkskundig  woordenboek  van  Nederland,  ('s  Gravenhage:  G.  B.  van  Goor 
Zonen's  Uitgeversmaatschappij  N.V.,  1948),  510  pp.  Lists  all  places  in  The  Netherlands  and  the 
county   and   province   of  larger  juirsdictions. 

Beschrijving  der  Doop-  Trouw  &  Begraafboeken,  enz.  van  voor  1811  (popularly  called  by  research- 
ers the  "Retro-Acta"),  (published  by  the  state  archive  of  each  province).  Inventories  and  des- 
criptions of  the  civil  and  church  records  kept  by  the  state  archive  dating  before  1811.  All  volumes 
with  the  exception  of  North  Holland  are  available  at  the  Genealogical  Society  Library. 

The  chart  and  table  that  follow  contain  answers  to  the  above  questions  for  the  major 
genealogical  record  sources  of  The  Netherlands.  Major  sources  are  listed,  together  with 
type  of  record,  period  covered,  type  of  information  given,  and  source  availability. 

Table  A  shows  at  a  glance  the  record  sources  available  for  a  research  problem  in  a 
particular  century. 

Table  B  provides  more  detailed  information  about  the  major  records  available.  For 
example,  if  a  pedigree  problem  is  in  the  17th  century,  a.  quick  indication  can  be  ob- 
tained from  Table  A  of  the  sources  available  for  that  period.  Reference  to  Table  B 
will  then  provide  more  complete  information. 


TABLE  A 


MAJOR  SOURCE  AVAILABILITY  BY  CENTURY 


TYPE  OF  RECORD 


1.   Population  Registers 


2.   Civil   Registration 


3.   Marriage  Supplements 


4.   Impost  Taxes 


CENTURY 


15th 


16th  17th  18th  19th  20U 


Improvement  Era 


r 


^L 


MAJOR  SOURCES  CHRONOLOGICALLY  ARRANGED 


1.   POPULATION 
REGISTERS 

(Bevolkings 
registers) 


2.  CIVIL 

REGISTRA- 
TION 

(Burgerlijhe 
stand) 


3.  MARRIAGE 
SUPPLE- 
MENTS 


4.  IMPOST 
TAXES 
(Gaardersar- 
chief) 


5.  PARISH 
RECORDS 


6.  BURGHER 
ROLLS 
OR  CITIZEN- 
SHIP BOOKS 

(Poortersbocken) 


PERIOD 
COVERED 


About  1843 
to  present 


About  1811 
to  present 
some  in  the 
South  begin 
1793 


1811-1842; 
some  later 


1695-1806 


About  1600 
to  present 


About  1500 
to  present; 
some 
earlier 


TYPE  OF       INFORMATION  GIVEN 


Name  of  head  of  family,  maiden  name  of 
wife,  names  and  sex  of  children,  grandchil- 
dren, sons  or  daughters-in-law,  dates  and 
places  of  birth,  religion,  profession,  residence 
and  address,  date  of  moving  into  town  and 
from  where,  date  of  moving  out  of  town  and 
destination,  dates  of  death,  if  died  in  the 
house  registered 


Births:  name  of  child,  date  and  place  of 
birth;  names,  professions,  and  residence  of 
parents;  name  and  age  of  informer;  names, 
ages,  residences,  professions,  and  signatures 
of  two  witnesses 

Marriage  intentions:  names,  ages,  proles 
sions,  residences  of  bride  and  groom;  names, 
occupations,  and  residences  of  parents;  date 
and  place  of  proclamation 

Marriages:  names,  ages,  occupations,  resi- 
dences, places  of  birth  of  bride  and  groom; 
names,  occupations,  and  residence  of  parents; 
date  and  place  of  marriage;  names  and  sig- 
natures of  witnesses 

Deaths:  name,  birthplace,  age,  last  resi- 
dence, and  occupation  of  deceased;  name, 
residence,  and  occupation  of  informant; 
names  of  surviving  spouse  and  children; 
names  and  signature  of  witnesses  and  official 


AVAILABILITY 


City  archives;  city  registrar;  bein 
filmed   (Genealogical  Society) 


Before  1882:  mostly  in  state  ar- 
chives or  in  the  arrondissement 
rechtbank  (provinces  are  divided  in- 
to judicial  "arrondissements")  of 
the  region  to  which  a  city  belongs; 
on  film  (GS) 

After    1882:      city    archives;    being 
filmed   (GS) 


The  marriage  supplements  include  all  docu- 
ments and  certificates  that  were  required 
in  older  times  to  prove  the  identity  of  the 
couple  who  intended  to  marry 
Birth  record  of  couples:  names,  dates  and 
places  of  birth,  names  of  parents,  name  of 
official 

Affidavit  of  recognition:  names  of  seven 
witnesses  who  can  identify  the  bride  and 
groom  • 

Certificate  of  military  record  of  groom: 
name  and  other  identifying  data  concerning 
military  service  of  the  groom 

Declaration  of  intention:  names  of  bride 
and  groom  and  their  parents,  residences, 
names  of  witnesses, 

Death  or  burial  records  of  parents  or  other 
persons,  which  records  could  identify  the 
couple  to  be  married:  name  of  deceased, 
date  of  death  or  burial,  sometimes  name  of 
spouse 


A  register  of  all  those  who 
including  nonconformists 


Tarried  or  died, 


Births  or  christenings:  name,  date  and  place 
of  christening,  name  of  father  or  both  par- 
ents, sometimes  names  of  witnesses 

Marriages:  names  of  bride  and  groom,  date 
of  marriage,  date  and  place  where  license 
was  requested,  name  of  former  spouse,  if 
married  previously 

Deaths  and  buriahs:  name  of  deceased,  date 
and  place  of  burial;  in  later  records  date 
and  place  of  death;  sometimes  name  of 
surviving  spouse 


Name,    place   of   origin,    profession,    date   of 
entering  the  city 


Before  1882;  mostly  in  state  ar- 
chives or  in  the  arrondissement 
rechtbank  of  the  region  to  which  a 
city  belongs;  on  film  (GS) 


After    1882;    city    archives 
filmed   (GS) 


Only  a  few  remaining  in  provinces 
of  Holland  and  Utrecht  only;  state 
archives;  on  film  (GS) 


Before  1882,  state  archives;  after 
1882,  local  parishes 

NOTE.  After  1811  use  civil  regis- 
ters or  administration  records,  the 
civil  registers  being  more  informa- 
tive 


State  archives;  only  a  few  remain; 
some  in  print  (GS) 


August  1968 


? 


¥ 


TYPE  OF 
RECORD 

PERIOD 
COVERED 

TYPE  OF  INFORMATION  GIVEN 

AVAILABILITY 

7.  JUDICIAL 

About 

Wills:     name  of  testator,  date  of  document, 

Some  in  state  archives;  some 

in  city 

RECORDS 

1400-1811 

names    of    heirs,    description    of    property, 
names  of  witnesses,  residence,  name  of  offi- 

archives; being  filmed  (GS) 

(Rechterlijke 

cial 

Archieven) 

Deeds:     names   of   buyers   and    sellers,    des- 
cription of  property,  names  of  witnesses,  resi- 
dence, name  of  official 

Rental   contracts:    names   and   residences   of 
partners  in  the  rental  contract 

Land  records,  property  appraisals  for  taxa- 
tion,   etc.:    name    of    property    owner,    resi- 
dence, year,  amount  of  taxation 

8.  NOTARIAL  OR 

About 

Similar  to  judicial  records 

Some   in   state   archives;   some   in 

COURT 

1400-1811 

city  archives;  being  filmed 

(GS) 

RECORDS 

Orphan 

Acceptance  oj  guardianship:  name  of  orphan, 

Chamber 

names  of  guardians,  residences 

Records 

(De  Weeska- 

Appointment     of     guardianship:      name     of 

merarchiven) 

guardian,  name  of  orphan,  residences,  names 
of  deceased  parents,  name  of  court 

Inventories   oj   property:    names  of   parents 
of  orphan,  name  of  orphan,  residence,  date 
of    document,    place    where    document    was 

issued 

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32 


.J 

Improvement  Era 


HowMuch 
DoYou 
Want  toFay 

for 
Your  Money  ? 


By  Melvin  L. 
(Bud)  Brain 


Man's  accumulation  of  monetary  worth  is  arrived  at  in 
various  ways.  It  is  acquired  at  varying  prices.  Who  is  to 
say  hoiv  much  money  costs  ivhen  men  use  their  best  friend- 
ships to  gain  financial  positions?  When  a  man  exchanges 
health  for  wealth,  what  kind  of  a  bargain  has  he  made?  If  a 
man  sacrifices  any  principle  to  make  money,  he  has  paid  too 
much  for  the  commodity.  Money  gained  by  illegitimate  means 
can  do  that  person  no  lasting  good. 

The  dollar  ought  not  to  be  so  close  to  our  eyes  that  we 
cannot  see  that  the  purpose  of  life  is  happiness. 

The  progress  of  the  world  has  been  made  by  men,  both 
great  and  small,  ivho  have  put  truth  above  all  else.  We  ought 
to  be  ever  on  guard  that  the  pursuit  of  money  does  not  rob 
us  of  our  everlasting  blessings. 

Finally,  the  man  who  pursues  money  with  such  headlong 
passion  that  he  loses  his  relationship  with  his  God  pays  the 
dearest  price  of  all  for  that  ivhich  will  perish  with  him. 


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can  be  a  PLEASANT  way 


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August   1968 


33 


Lest  We  Forget 


SairiBraiman 

aiidlhe  <^(*£) 

Saints 


By  Albert  L.  Zobell,  Jr. 

Research  Editor 

• 

•  A  popular  conception  of  the 
Mormon  pioneers  is  of  ox  teams 
pulling  prairie  schooners 
through  endless  prairie  grass 
toward  the  Salt  Lake  Valley. 
Of  equal  interest  is  a  lesser- 
known  company  of  Saints  ivho 
took  to  the  sea,  under  the  direc- 
tion of  Elder  Samuel  Brannan, 
departing  from  New  York  Har- 
bor on  February  4,  184.6 — coin- 
cidental^ the  same  day  that  the 
western  exodus  started  from 
Nauvoo,  Illinois. 

The  238  voyagers  started 
their  journey  on  the  ship  Brook- 
lyn, commanded  by  a  Captain 
Richardson.  They  ivere  well- 
equipped  with  farming  tools, 
gristmills,  a  printing  press, 
type,  and  paper.  In  their  long 
trip  around  Cape  Horn  at  the 
southern  tip  of  South  America, 
they  experienced  gales  and  calm 
seas,  each  playing  havoc  with 
whatever  schedule  had  been 
planned.  During  the  storms 
women  and  children  were  lashed 
to  their  berths  at  night. 

Once  the  passengers  gathered 
around  Captain  Richardson  to 
hear  him  say,  "My  friends, 
there  is  a  time  in  every  man's 
life  when  it  is  fitting  that  he 


Illustrated  by  Maurice  Scan/on 

should  prepare  to  die.  That  time 
has  come  to  us,  and  unless  God 
interposes,  we  shall  all  go  to  the 
bottom.  I  have  done  all  in  my 
power,  but  this  is  the  tvorst  gale 
I  have,knoivn  since  I  was  master 
of  a  ship." 

One  woman  answered  confi- 
dently, "Captain,  we  left  for 
California,  and  we  shall  get 
there." 

Another  woman  said,  "I  have 
no  more  fear  than  if  we  were 
on  the  solid  land." 

The  captain  gazed  in  mute 
surprise  and  then  turned,  say- 
ing, "These  people  have  a  faith 
that  I  have  not.  They  are  either 
fools  and  fear  nothing,  or  they 
know  more  than  I  do." 

In  May  the  Saints  went 
ashore  at  Juan  Fernandez  (Rob- 
inson Crusoe's  island)  to  bury 
Mrs.  Laura  Goodwin,  who  died 
from  injuries  received  during  a 
violent  Pacific  Ocean  storm. 

On  June  25  they  anchored  at 
Honolulu,  where  they  heard  of 
the  unsettled  conditions  in  Cali- 
fornia. 

Samuel  Brannan,  their  ambi- 
tious and  energetic  leader, 
bought  condemned  muskets  in 
Honolulu  at  $3  and  $4  each,  and 


he  drilled  his  men  on  shipboard. 
He  believed  that  he  would  bring 
American  victory  to  California. 
The  Brooklyn  arrived  at  Yerba 
Buena  on  a  foggy  July  31, 
1846,  only  to  find  that  peace 
had  already  been  established. 

Yerba  Buena,  whose  popula- 
tion iv as  doubled  by  the  arrival 
of  the  Brooklyn  settlers,  had 
some  300  residents  on  January 
1, 184-7,  about  200  of  whom  were 
Mormons.  The  town  was  called 
Yerba  Buena  and  the  area  San 
Francisco,  causing  some  con- 
fusion, so  on  January  30  the 
bustling  town  was  renamed  San 
Francisco. 

Brannan  began  publication  of 
the  California  Star,  the  second 
newspaper  to  be  established  in 
California,  shortly  after  his  ar- 
rival there.  Many  from  the 
Brooklyn  were  farmers,  and 
they  recognized  the  amazing 
fertility  of  California  soil; 
Brannan  himself  saiv  the  im- 
mense possibilities  of  San  Fran- 
cisco. 

On  April  4,  1847,  Brannan 
and  two  companions  left  San 
Francisco  and  traveled  east  in 
search  of  President  Brigham 
Young,  who  they  knew  had 
winter -quartered  on  the  Mis- 
souri. They  traveled  by  way  of 
Fort  Hall  (near  the  present  city 
of  Pocatello,  Idaho),  and  met 
the  pioneers  at  the  Green  River 
on  June  30.  Brannan  brought 
news  that  the  Brooklyn  Saints 
were  now  settling  in  the  San 
Joaquin  Valley  and  that  the 
Mormon  Battalion  had  reached 
the  Pacific  Coast;  he  also  had 
with  him  copies  of  16  issues  of 
the  California  Star.  He  talked 
of  the  welcome  the  Church  could 
expect  in  California.  President 
Young  was  little  impressed,  as 
the  decision  had  already  been 
made  to  settle  in  the  valley  of 
Great  Salt  Lake. 

While  at  Green  River  the  pio- 


34 


Improvement  Era 


neers  ivere  joined  by  an  advance 
party  of  the  sick  detachment 
from,  the  Mormon  Battalion. 
Brannan  traveled  with  the  sick 
detachment  and  continued  to 
extol  the  wonders  of  California. 
He  arrived  in  the  Salt  Lake 
Valley  with  the  members  of  that 
sick  detachment  July  29,  and 
was  disheartened  to  discover 
that  crops  had  been  planted,  a 
city  had  been  planned,  and  that 
this  indeed  ivas  to  be  the  abode 
of  the  Saints.  Sadly  he  returned 
to  California. 

On  April  5,  184-9,  President 
Young  wrote  a  special  request 
for  tithing  ivithheld  from  the 
Church  by  Brannan.  The  letter 
held  both  a  promise  and  a  warn- 
ing: ".  .  .  if  you  will  deal  justly 
with  your  fellows,  and  deal  out 
with  liberal  heart  and  open 
hands,  making  a  righteous  use 
of  all  your  money,  the  Lord  is 
willing  you  should  accumulate 
the  rich  treasures  of  the  earth 
and  the  good  things  of  time  in 
abundance;  but  should  you 
ivithhold,  when  the  Lord  says 
give,  your  hope  and  pleasing 
prospects  will  be  blasted  in  an 
hour  you  think  not  of,  and  no 
arm  can  save.  .  .  ." 

Brannan  participated  in  the 
early  scenes  of  California's  pio- 
neer life — the  discovery  of  gold, 
wild  speculation  in  San  Fran- 
cisco real  estate  (at  one  time,  it 
is  said,  he  owned  all  of  Market 
Street),  a  distillery,  and  mining, 
milling,  and  railroad  companies. 
Known  as  the  richest  man  in 
California,  he  had  extensive 
land  holdings  there  and  in 
Mexico.  But  despite  all  his 
initial  successes,  he  gradually 
became  intemperate;  his  wife 
and  family  left  him;  his  health 
and  his  fortune  melted  away; 
and  he  died  penniless  and  for- 
gotten at  Escondido,  California, 
on  May  6,  1889.  For  16  months 
his    body    lay   unclaimed    in    a 


morgue  in  nearby  San  Diego. 

Historian  Hubert  H.  Bancroft 
declaimed  that  Samuel  Brannan 
"probably  did  more  for  San 
Francisco  and  for  other  places 
[in  California]  than  ivas  effect- 
ed by  the  combined  efforts  of 
scores  of  better  men;  and,  in- 
deed, in  many  respects,  he  ivas 


not   a   bad   man."    ^History    of 
California,  Vol.  2,  p.  728.) 

When  the  Saints  became  es- 
tablished in  Salt  Lake  Valley, 
many  of  the  Brooklyn  people 
left  California  and  moved  east 
to  join  them,  thus  ending  one  of 
the  most  interesting  stories  of 
early  Mormon  migration.  O 


Richard   L.   Evans 

The  Spoken  Word 


Never  too  far  from  our  thoughts  are  questions  concerning  the 
length  of  life,  the  purpose  of  life— life,  death,  loss  of  loved  ones, 
the  whereabouts  of  those  who  leave  us,  and  our  own  inevitable 
leaving  of  those  we  love.  These  are  among  the  most  insistent  questions 
of  all  time.  As  to  those  whom  we  have  lost,  those  whom  we  may  lose, 
and  as  to  ourselves:  "No  cogent  reason  remains  for  supposing  the  soul 
dies  with  the  body,"  said  Dr.  Arthur  H.  Compton.  ".  .  .  We  [scientists] 
find  strong  reasons  for  believing  that  man  is  of  extraordinary  importance 
in  the  cosmic  scheme.  ...  It  takes  a  lifetime  to  build  the  character  of  a 
noble  man.  The  exercise  and  discipline  of  youth,  the  struggles  and 
failures  of  maturity,  the  loneliness  and  tranquility  of  age— these  make 
the  fire  through  which  he  must  pass  to  bring  out  the  pure  gold  of  his 
soul.  Having  been  thus  perfected,  what  shall  Nature  do  with  him, 
annihilate  him?  What  infinite  waste!  As  long  as  there  is  in  heaven 
a  God  of  love,  there  must  be  for  God's  children  everlasting  life!"1  So 
spoke  this  eminent  scientist  whose  knowledge  was  full  of  reason  and 
whose  reason  was  full  of  faith.  All  of  us  have  losses— or  will  have— 
and  no  matter  how  many  friends  we  have,  or  family,  the  loss  of  one 
beloved  one  leaves  always  a  place  unfilled  in  our  hearts,  as  David  Mac- 
beth Moir  said  it: 

"We  miss  thy  small  step  on  the  stair; 
We  miss  thee  at  thine  evening  prayer; 
All  day  we  miss  thee,  everywhere."2 
To  you  who  know  the  loss  of  loved  ones,  to  you  who  think  upon  your 
own  time— sometime— of  leaving  this  life:  there  is  a  place  where  loved 
ones  wait,  a  place,  a  purpose,  and  an  everlastingness  of  life  in  the  real 
and  substantive  sense.     God  grant  to  each  one  faith  and  peace   and 
purpose,   and   memories   made   sweeter  by   this    assurance,   that   when 
we  go  it  will  not  be  as  strangers,  but  to  find  again  beloved  faces,  the 
personal  presence  of  family  and  friends. 

^r.    Arthur  H.    Compton,    1928    Nobel  Prize   winner   in   physics. 
-David    Macbeth    Moir,    Casa    Wappy. 

#  "The  Spoken  Word"  from  Temple  Square,  presented  over  KSL  and  the  Columbia 
Broadcasting  System   May  26,   1968.    Copyright  1968. 


August  1968 


35 


The  Heritage 
By  Iris  W.  Schow 


My  cousin  says  Grandfather  told  her  once 

How  as  a  hungry  child  he  deftly  picked 

A  crust  of  bread  from  off  the  brimming  top 

Of  someone's  pail  of  leftovers,  and  ate 

With  thankful  heart  before  he  did  his  chores. 

My  brother  says,  "1   wont  believe  that,  though. 

Not  one  of  us;  it  cant  have  come  to  that" 

Well,  be  that  as  it  may,  1  see  him  best, 

A  bishop,  at  the  head  of  his  own  board 

Well-spread  with  dainties,  urging  more  on  all 

Beneath  his  roof.   And  board  and  roof  both  serve 

To  symbolize  the  triumph  of  his  hands, 

His  heart,  and  mind  over  the  unkempt  waste 

Whose  challenge  he  accepted  in  his  youth. 

When  as  a  convert  he  attained  these  shores. 

His  were  two  assets— all  that  he  need  have: 

A  land  that  gave  free  enterprise  to  each. 

A  faith  that  recognized  free  agency— 

These  were  his  heritage  from  earth  and  heaven. 


36  Improvement  Era 


The  Day  of  the 
Lamanite  Is  Now 


This  is  the  theme  for  the  Indian  Placement  Program  this  year.    The 
Lord  seems  to  be  stretching  forth  his  hand  over  his  children  of  the  great  plains. 

As  members  of  The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  all  over  the  world,  you  may 
have  ivondered  what  it  all  means.  What  do  you  know  about  your  Indian  brother?  What  can  you 
tell  of  the  heart  that  beats  tvithin  him?  Can  you  understand,  the  depths  of  his  dark  eyes  and  the 
strength  in  his  silent  manner? 

You've  heard  of  his  bravery,  his  forest  wisdom.  You've  read  of  hogans  and  headdresses, 
war  dances  and  tribal  customs.  You  may  even  oivn  some  of  his  unique  handmade  jewelry.  But 
what  woidd  you  talk  with  him  about,  if  you  were  given  the  chance? 

What  is  so  special  about  a  Lamanite,  anyway?  Is  he  really  a  literal  descendant  of  Israel? 
It  is  true  that  the  scriptures  indicate  a  great  future  for  this  special  child  of  God,  as  he  learns 
of  His  plan  and  lives  according  to  His  commandments? 

You  can't  really  understand  the  American  Indian,  it  has  been  said,  until  you  step  into  his 
moccasins.  Not  everyone  can  have  this  privilege  in  fact,  but  vicariously  it's  yours  for  the  read- 
ing in  this  issue  of  the  Era  of  Youth. 


August   1968 


37 


Selflessness  was  the  theme  of  the  sermons  of  the  Lord  during 
his  earthly  ministry.  The  Indian  Student  Placement  Program  is 
one  of  placing  Latter-day  Saint  Indian  children  in  Latter-day 
Saint  homes  for  the  school  years,  there  to  absorb  and  make  their 
own  the  best  Mormon  culture  as  well  as  the  training  and  finest 
culture  of  the  best  communities  of  a  great  country. 

Perhaps  this  is  one  of  the  most  selfless  of  all  the  programs 
of  the  Church,  for  here  the  best  people  share  their  homes,  their 
funds,  their  facilities,  and  their  hearts  with  young  Indian  people 
who  otherwise  would  be  deprived  of  many  of  these  great  blessings. 

It  is  significant  that  many  of  the  homes  that  house  an 
Indian  child  are  homes  already  filled  with  children  and  where 
the  children  and  the  foster  Indian  youth,  with  the  foster  parents, 
all  work  out  a  delightful  family  relationship.  The  Indian  child 
learns  not  only  English  and  the  best  in  the  white  man's  ways, 
but  he  also  learns  the  gospel,  participates  in  the  program,  learns 
to  pray,  develops  a  testimony,  and  works  out  a  satisfactory 
human  relationship   with   others  who   have   a   different   culture. 

To  contrast  the  advantages  and  blessings  that  are  coming 
to  the  Indians  today  with  that  which  they  received  20  years  ago, 
the  improvement  is  almost  unbelievable.  And  to  look  into  the 
future  and  see  the  great  direct  benefits  that  will  come  to  numerous 
Indian  families  as  the  Indian  students  reach  maturity,  fill  hon- 
orable missions,  and  have  their  ceremonies  performed  in  the 
temple  is  highly  gratifying. 

—Elder  Spencer  W.   Kimball 
of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve 


38 


Era  of  Youth 


LamaniteYouth  Speaks 


Editor's  Note:   Students  in  the  placement  program 
speak,  that  you  may  know  what  is  in  their  hearts. 


ray  LOVIS:  The  day  of  the  Laman- 
ite  is  now,  we're  told — the  day 
when  the  birds  can  sing  again, 
when  the  children  can  play  in 
peace  again;  the  day  when  we  are 
walking  out  of  our  wilderness  to 
a  beautiful  morn  as  the  flowers 
begin  to  blossom  and  the  clouds 
depart  from  the  sky;  the  day 
when  we  grow,  when  we  learn, 
when  we  prosper  again  in  righ- 
teousness. How  long  since  our 
people  have  laughed  in  joy?  This 
is  the  day  when  we  are  coming 
back  to  good,  the  day  when  the 
gospel  of  Christ  abides  in  our 
midst. 


VERENDA  DOSELA:  Eight  years 
ago  when  I  came  into  this  pro- 
gram I  got  off  the  bus  with  just 
the  clothes  on  my  back  and  a 
few  small  possessions  in  an  old 
shoebox.  I  came  from  a  humble 
home.  My  people  are  humble. 
But  you  have  opened  your 
hearts  to  me,  and  for  that  I  am 
thankful.  Now  I  can  go  home 
with  the  clothes  on  my  back  and 
with  my  belongings  in  a  small 
shoebox,  but  I  am  rich.  I  can  be 
more  wealthy  than  any  of  my 


people  on  the  reservation,  be- 
cause that  which  is  inside  me  is 
as  precious  as  a  pearl.  I  have  a 
testimony  of  the  gospel.  I  know 
that  God  lives  and  that  Jesus  is 
the  Christ.  I  now  have  a  goal — 
something  to  strive  for.  It  is  as 
precious  as  the  sun  and  glows 
with  beauty  ahead  of  me  as  my 
fortune. 


jesse  holliday:  If  we  Lamanites 
are  to  blossom  as  a  rose,  our 
confidence  must  wax  strong  in 
the  presence  of  God.  We  must 
prepare  and  labor  in  this  life.  Let 
us  not  think  of  ourselves,  my 
people,  as  being  different  from 
other  people.  We  are  all  children 
of  God,  and  his  promise  applies 
to  all  of  us — brown  or  white,  bond 
or  free.  God  can  recognize  a 
humble  heart  wherever  it  may  be. 


SARAH  NEZ:  I  learn  the  way  of 
the  white  man's  world.  I  learn 
to  speak  in  English.  I  learn  what 
it  means  to  be  a  Lamanite.  I 
learn  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ 
and  come  to  live  with  people  I've 
never  seen  before.    Their  home 


is  not  a  hogan  made  of  logs  and 
mud  like  mine.  I  learn  many 
things.  Now  I  am  proud  to  be  a 
Navajo — proud  of  my  home  and 
my  people  and  proud  of  what  I 
learn  from  white  mom  and  dad, 
sisters,  and  brothers. 

BEN  WATAHOMIGIE:  The  five 
years  that  I  have  participated  in 
this  placement  program  have 
been  the  best  in  my  life.  I  have 
learned  so  much  about  the 
Church  and  have  gained  a 
stronger  testimony  of  the  gospel 
of  Christ. 

ERNESTINE  CODY:  When  we  go 
back  from  the  white  man's  home 
to  our  own  people,  we  should  try 
to  set  an  example  of  what  we  have 
learned  in  these  past  years.  Then 
our  people  will  want  to  join  the 
Church  and  learn  of  modern  ways. 
There  was  a  Navajo  hoy  who 
tended  sheep,  and  the  missionaries 
found  him  and  taught  him  the 
gospel.  They  told  him  about  the 
placement  program,  and  talked 
with  his  parents,  who  decided  to 
let  him  go  and  learn  more  of  God 
and  go  to  good  schools.  After  hard 
work  and  study  this  same  boy  now 
has  a  four-year  scholarship  to  col- 
lege. Yes,  our  day  has  come,  but 
it  is  up  to  us  to  see  what  we  can 
do  about  it. 


August   1968 


39 


Hue  Proud  and  Free 

By  Stella  Mosqueda 

/  am  a  young  Indian. 

My  hair  is  black  and  my  skin  is  brown, 

But  I  feel  no  inferiority  before  the  White  Man. 

Brown  is  the  color  of  the  earth; 

Black  is  the  color  of  the  sky  before  the 

life-giving  rain  falls. 
As  the  soil  and  rain  bring  forth  food  for  life. 
Materials  of  work,  and  beauty  for  pleasure, 
So  must  I,  as  the  lord  of  nature, 
Bring  forth  good  into  the  world. 

All  Indians  are  blessed  at  birth 

With  the  precious  heritage  of  independence  and  pride 

Like  a  costly  gem,  this  precious  heritage  must  be  treasured, 

Lest  it  become  a  dull,  worthless  stone. 

To  live  proud  and  free,  as  was  meant  to  be, 

Indian  youth  must  learn  to  progress 

In  the  White  Man's  hunting  ground,  for  it  is  ours  too. 

The  White  Man  has  not  taken  our  land; 

He  has  only  changed  it,  made  it  a  tower  of  strength 

For  all  Americans  of  ivhatever  race  or  nationality. 

America  is  my  land;  America  is  our  land: 

To  hold,  to  cherish,  to  cleave  unto,  to  preserve, 

and  to  protect. 
It  is  our  duty  to  learn  to  live  in  our  changed  homeland. 


We  can  no  longer  use  the  bow  and  arrow 

to  obtain  our  necessities. 
Our  new  tools  must  be  ambition  and  education. 
We  cannot  stand  tall  and  proud 
If  ive  refrain  from  the  pursuit  of  progress. 
We  cannot  be  free  if  we  do  not  try  to  break 
The.  binding  chains  of  poverty  and  ignorance. 


God  gave  all  his  children  talents  to  use  for  him. 

God  gave  to  Indian  youth  a  special  mission, 

As  first  Americans:  to  preserve  and  cherish  America's  freedom, 

And  to  hold  themselves  and  others  proud  and  free 

As  it  ivas  meant  for  all  God's  children  to  be. 


40 


Stella  Mosqueda,  16,  a  Yakima  Indiar 
from  Longview,  Washington,  is  attend- j 
ing  Riverside  Indian  School  at  Ana- 
darko,  Oklahoma.  A  recent  convert  to] 
the  Church,  she  is  a  seminary  student] 
and  plans  to  major  in  journalism  in] 
college. 


They've  Said  It  With  Music 


By  David  Smoot 


•  Music  with  a  message  espe- 
cially for  them  rings  in  the 
hearts  of  many  young  American 
Indians  who  recently  have  been 
entertained  by  the  "Say  It  With 
Music"  cast  from  Brigham 
Young  University's  Program 
Bureau. 

When  Bimmer  Jones  and 
Vickie  Washburn  stepped  on 
stage  to  sing  "Go,  My  Son,"  the 
theme  for  the  program  was  set 
and  the  challenge  was  firmly 
planted  in  the  hearts  of  the 
young  Indian  audiences.  This 
song  was  written  by  Arliene 
Nofchissey  Williams,  a  Navajo, 
and  Carnes  Burson,  a  Ute. 

"Go,  my  son,  go  and  climb  the 
ladder ; 

Go,  my  son,  go  and  earn  your 
feather ; 

Go,  my  son,  make  your  people 
proud  of  you. 

Work  my  son,  get  an  education ; 

Work  my  son,  learn  a  good 
vocation ; 

And  climb,  my  son, 

Go  and  take  a  lofty  view. 

From  on  the  ladder  of  an  educa- 
tion 


You  can  see  to  help  your  Indian 

nation ; 
Then  reach,  my  son, 
And   lift   your   people   up   with 

you." 

Saying  it  with  music  proves 
highly  effective,  and  besides  be- 
ing thrilled,  many  of  the  young 
Indian  students  have  taken 
steps  that  will  lead  to  higher 
education  and  help  for  their 
people. 

Matt  Goudy,  one  of  the  cast 
members,  is  a  good  example  of 
what  this  program  can  do.  Matt 
is  a  Yakima  Indian  from  Wash- 
ington. He  is  not  a  member  of 
the  Church,  but  he  found  his 
way  to  Brigham  Young  Uni- 
versity in  Provo,  Utah,  after 
seeing  just  such  a  program  as 
he  is  now  helping  to  present. 

Following  the  recent  tour  to 
Indian  sections,  letters  flow  in 
to  Paul  Felt,  director  of  Indian 
education  at  BYU.  They  praise 
the  ballroom  dancers  and  rave 
about  the  Indian-Polynesian 
numbers  and  the  members  of 
the  Tribe  of  Many  Feathers,  who 
also  participate  in  the  produc- 


tion. Saying  it  with  music  gets 
it  said  effectively. 

Jane  Thompson  has  been 
planning  and  directing  and 
touring  with  various  program 
casts  for  several  years.  Many 
of  them  have  gone  to  distant 
places.  "But,"  says  Jane,  "as 
important  as  these  tours  have 
been,  none  has  had  a  more  spe- 
cial purpose  or  a  more  tangible 
sense  of  attempting  to  do  some- 
thing worthwhile  than  have  the 
tours  we  have  taken  to  the  In- 
dians. Our  fifth  tour  has 
proven  once  again  a  delight  for 
us  in  working  with  new  and 
talented  Indian  students  on 
campus.  Presenting  our  show 
for  enthusiastic  Indian  audi- 
ences and  meeting  Indian  lead- 
ers and  Indians  from  every  walk 
of  life  has  been  an  exceptional 
experience  that  we've  all  en- 
joyed." 

President  McKay  has  said 
that  today  is  the  day  to  prepare 
the  Lamanite  people  for  the 
work  they  have  ahead  of  them. 
The  cast  of  "Say  It  With  Music" 
is  helping  to  accomplish  this 
goal.  O 

Matt  Goudy  and  Vickie  Wentz  sing  "Pass 
That  Peace  Pipe."  They  were  favorites  on 
the  "Say  It  With  Music"  show. 


Vickie  Wentz  talks  to  the  animals.    And  the 
animals  are  almost  as  tall  as  she  is. 


August   1968 


41 


Student  Placement  Program 


By  President  A.  Theodore  Tuttle 

of  the  First  Council  of  the  Seventy 


•  The  Indian  Placement  Program  is  a  unique 
and  distinctive  program.  It  is  based  on  love — 
the  love  of  natural  parents  for  their  children  that 
is  sufficient  to  motivate  them  to  send  their  chil- 
dren elsewhere  to  obtain  better  opportunities. 
And  it  is  based  on  the  love  of  foster  parents  that 
is  sufficient  for  them  to  open  their  homes  and 
hearts  to  accept  another's  child  as  their  own. 

Nephi  saw  the  days  when  the  Gentiles  would 
help  his  seed,  "both  temporal  and  spiritual." 

"And  after  our  seed  is  scattered  the  Lord  God 
will  proceed  to  do  a  marvelous  work  among  the 
Gentiles,  which  shall  be  of  great  worth  unto  our 
seed;  wherefore,  it  is  likened  unto  their  being 
nourished  by  the  Gentiles  and  being  carried  in 
their  arms  and  upon  their  shoulders."  (1  Ne. 
22:8.) 

. «  "The  sons  and  daughters  of  Zion  will  soon 
be  required  to  devote  a  portion  of  their  time  in 
instructing  the  children  of  the  forest.  For  they 
must  be  educated  and  instructed  in  all  the  arts  of 
civil  life,  as  well  as  in  the  gospel.  They  must  be 
clothed,  fed,  and  instructed  in  the  principles  and 
practice  of  virtue,  modesty,  temperance,  cleanli- 
ness, industry,  mechanical  arts,  manners,  cus- 
toms, dress,  music,  and  all  other  things  which 
are  calculated  in  their  nature  to  refine,  purify, 
exalt,  and  glorify  them  as  the  sons  and  daughters 
of  the  royal  house  of  Israel,  and  of  Joseph ;  who 
are  making  ready  for  the  coming  of  the  bride- 


groom."    (Proclamation    of   the    Council    of   the 
Twelve,  April  6,  1845.) 


The  placement  program  is  one  of  the  many 
programs  that  help  to  accomplish  these  things. 
It  is  designed  to  make  possible  educational,  spiri- 
tual, social,  and  cultural  opportunities  for  Latter- 
day  Saint  Indian  children,  and  to  provide  oppor- 
tunity for  them  to  participate  in  non-Indian 
community  life  so  they  can  use  their  own  experi- 
ence now  and  later  for  their  own  benefit  and 
that  of  their  people. 

The  program  exists  primarily  for  the  educa- 
tional opportunities  it  affords  the  Indian  children 
it  serves.  These  opportunities,  however,  consist 
not  only  of  experiences  in  the  formal  school  set- 
ting but  also  informal  training  and  experiences 
received  in  the  home  and  church. 

The  reaction  to  this  program  by  families  has 
been  enthusiastic  and  wholesome.  It  has  not  only 
provided  youngsters  an  honest-to-goodness  oppor- 
tunity to  play  "cowboys  and  Indians,"  but  has 
also  extended  the  opportunity  to  the  whole  family 
to  practice  true  Christian  virtues. 

As  with  all  long-range  programs,  it  is  diffi- 
cult to  see  the  fruits  immediately.  (Somehow  it 
takes  just  so  many  years  for  children  to  grow 
up!)  It  is  only  when  these  young  people  have 
succeeded   in   school,   filled   honorable   missions, 


42 


Era  of  Youth 


married  in  the  temple,  and  are  faithfully  giving 
service  to  their  fellowmen  that  the  effects  of  this 
program  can  be  assessed. 

There  are,  however,  other  benefits  than  those 
to  the  Indian  students :  the  program  also  puts  the 
next  generation  of  leaders  (today's  young  people) 
in  contact  with  Indians,  and  provides  an  oppor- 
tunity to  grow  up  with  them.  Most  of  today's 
parents  have  not  had  this  opportunity. 

I  heard  a  young  Indian  boy  say  of  his  experi- 
ence, "The  first  day  I  went  to  school  the  other 
kids  looked  at  me  as  if  I  were  a  freak  or  something 
— but  now  they  all  accept  me  and  love  me  as  I 
love  them."  Learning  how  to  live  better  together 
now  will  make  it  far  easier  to  live  together  as 
adults. 

Another  corollary  benefit  is  that  a  non-Indian 
youth  learns  that  an  Indian  child  is  more  like 
than  different  from  him. 

The  idea  of  "feathers"  is  soon  (and  just  as 
well)  forgotten  when  these  fine  young  people 
are  seen  participating  in  sports,  speech,  drama, 


August   1968 


school,  and  other  activities,  just  as  other  non- 
Indian  children  do. 

Lamanite  boys  played  in  the  championship 
games  for  both  Class  "A"  and  "B"  schools  in  the 
Utah  State  Basketball  Tournament  this  past 
season. 

There  are  at  this  time  43  American  Indians 
serving  full-time  missions  to  their  people. 

Temple  marriage  is  becoming  the  rule  rather 
than  the  exception  among  placement  students. 

Many  students  are  receiving  their  Eagle 
Scout  awards,  often  the  first  ones  in  their  tribe 
to  reach  this  goal. 

An  ever-increasing  number  of  students  are 
taking  part  in  school  activities,  and  many  are 
receiving  recognition  for  high  scholastic  achieve- 
ment. 

There  is  still  something  more  that  young 
people  can  do  for  their  Indian  brothers  and  sis- 
ters. Elder  Spencer  W.  Kimball  has  said :  "My 
young  brothers  and  sisters,  I  plead  with  you  to 
accept  the  Lamanite  as  your  brother,  a  people 
who  ask  not  for  distant,  far-away  sympathy, 
your  haughty  disdain,  your  supercilious  penny 
throwing,  your  turned-up  nose,  your  superior 
snobbery,  and  your  cold  calculated  tolerance.  I 
ask  you  to  give  them  what  they  want  and  need 
and  deserve :  opportunity  and  fraternal  brotherli- 
ness,  your  understanding,  your  warm  and  glowing 
fellowship,  your  unstinted  and  beautiful  love,  and 
your  enthusiastic  brotherhood." 

This  placement  program  is  operated  under 
the  direction  of  the  Church  Indian  Committee  and 
the  general  presidency  of  the  Relief  Society.  It  is 
a  state-licensed  program,  under  the  direction  of 
Clare  Bishop,  program  director,  with  33  qualified 
professional  social  workers. 

Many  people  become  involved  in  such  a  mar- 
velous program.  As  with  all  Church  programs, 
the  stake  president,  with  a  high  councilor  to 
assist,  is  in  charge  of  this  work.  The  bishop 
recommends  families  in  his  ward  who  want  to 
participate  in  this  endeavor,  and  a  caseworker 
(all  are  returned  missionaries)  helps  the  foster 
families  to  carry  out  their  responsibility.  It  is  the 
testimony  of  those  involved  in  this  work  that  the 
Lord  gives  special  blessings  to  all  who  participate 
in  this  service.  O 


43 


.—a 


Dennie  Deal  helps  with  the  chores  on  the 
farm  of  his  foster  parents,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Ferris  Fitzgerald. 


Climbing  the  ladder  on  the  farm  is  sym- 
bolic of  the  climb  Dennie  Deal  is  making 
in  life. 


Shooting  for  the   basket  is  a  favorite  with  all  boys. 


The  New  life  of  an  Indian  Teen 


By  Elaine  Cannon 


Off  the  reservation,  on  to  the 
campus!  Young  Indian  boys  and 
girls  relish  the  adventure.  It's 
like  a  dream  come  true,  and  when 
it  happens  there  is  no  more  appre- 
ciative heart,  no  more  responsive 
student.     From  the  days  of  lying 


Dennie  Deal  totes  his  new  "sister,"   Kelly 
Ann  Fitzgerald,  Indian  style. 


on  one's  back  counting  stars  over 
the  hogan,  to  the  complicated  new 
world  of  new  school,  new  friends, 
and  new  "family,"  the  transition 
is  swift.  The  old  ways  are  tucked 
away  and  treasured  as  part  of 
childhood,   part  of  precious  cul- 


Era  of  Youth 


Time  out  is  also  taken  to  develop  talent. 
Dennie  Deal  hangs  an  oil  he's  finished  and 
framed. 


Learn  a  trade.  Be  good  for  something! 
That's  the  command  Indian  students  re- 
spond  to   eagerly.     Dennie    Deal  welding. 


v  ■'  -**•*  jg;****-  j^- w  .,«^  fug-  .Mt 


/t's   a    friendly   tangle   for   foster    brothers  Dennie  Deal  and  Kevin  Fitzgerald. 


August  1968 


45 


Homework    is    a    community    affair    when  LaVale   Footracer,   Pearl  Keith,   Becky  Siler,  and  Suzy  Mae  Yazzie  get  together. 


Sean   Siler  is  comforted   by  his   loving  La- 
manite  sister,  Pearl  Keith. 


ture.  The  new  ways  are  learned 
with  some  pain,  but  they  are  worth 
the  struggle  as  life's  boundaries 
are  stretched.  Young  people, 
whatever  their  race,  are  rather 
alike.  They  make  friends,  fall  in 
and  out  of  love,  learn  a  trade,  get 
homesick  and  sick  of  home  on 
occasion.  They  follow  some  trends 
and  discount  others.    They  worry 


about  their  looks  and  their  poise 
and  their  grades.  They  set  goals 
and  excitedly  strive  to  reach  them. 
For  the  young  Lamanites,  the 
world  holds  much  wonder  and 
much  warmth  in  the  homes  of  new 
families  they  come  to  know  and 
love,  and  in  the  schools  and  ac- 
tivities of  work  and  fun  they  choose 
to  follow. 


Photos    by  Efdon  Lmschoten 


46 


Era  of  Youth 


Don  Johnson,  foster  son  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Richard  F.  North,  and  Pearl  Keith,  foster 
daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clifford  Siler,  go 
format  in  the  marble  rotunda  of  Utah's 
State  Capitol  Building. 


'It's  a  date!"  and  Pearl  Keith  is  the  excited  girl  answering  the  call. 


Helen  Yazzie  shows  her  winning  handicraft 
to  her  foster  mother,  Mrs.  Reed  Newbould. 


M 


Pearl  Keith  is  like  any  beautiful  young  girl 


^•'>y::.i     when    it   comes   to   her  hair — it   must   look 
L^teril    perfect  for  the  dance. 


47 


Rainell  Naha  shows  her  speech  award  to 
her  proud  foster  family,  the  Clayton 
Lamoreaux  family. 


Left  to  right  are  LaVale  Footracer,  (Karl 
Anderson  home),  Suzy  Mae  Yazzie  (Shelby 
West  home),  Pearl  Keith  (Clifford  Siler 
home),     Martha     Wayne     (Burtis     Jackson 


home),  Rosemary  Decker  (George  Robinson 
home),  Sue  Williams  (J.  Ralph  Mantle 
home),  and  Carolyn  Dick  (Dr.  George  A. 
Miller  home). 


Ben  Watahomigie,  foster  son  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Leonard  Hathaway,  touches  the  audience 
when  he  bears  his  testimony. 


Reflections  of  a  Borrowed  Mother 

By  Betty  North 


Members  of  the  Richard  North  family  of  Holladay,  Utah,  have  wel- 
comed a  Lamanite  son  into  their  home  this  year,  and  the  mother 
speaks  from  her  heart  to  her  own  missionary  son  about  the  experi- 
ence. 


Dear  Jim: 

Don's  going  on  a  mission ! 
This  young  Lamanite  who  occu- 
pies your  bed,  and  shares  our 
home,  has  chosen  to  go  on  a 
mission  this  fall !  As  a  senior  he 


had  the  choice  to  remain  with 
us  through  the  summer  and 
work  to  save  for  this  special 
call,  rather  than  go  by  bus  with 
the  other  students  to  spend  the 
summer  with  their  natural  par- 


ents. It's  hard  to  believe  that  in 
a  short  time  I  will  be  writing  to 
three  sons — two  on  missions 
and  one  at  college. 

Looking  back  on  the  past,  I 
feel  grateful  for  the  testimony 
I  have  gained  of  the  Indian 
Student  Placement  Program.  It 
is  one  in  which  families  of  the 
Church  can  usefully  serve  our 
fellowmen  and  can  at  the  same 


48 


Era  of  Youth 


time  do  missionary  work  and 
serve  the  Lord.  Great  blessings 
come  to  our  homes  through  this 
opportunity.  I  must  admit  that 
sometimes  I  feel  a  bit  guilty 
that  we  are  reaping  such  joy 
and  rewards  from  our  experi- 
ence, when  much  credit  must  be 
given  to  the  influence  and  love 
of  the  two  families  who  came 
before  us  in  Don's  life — really 
three,  counting  his  natural 
mother.  In  one  particular  year 
his  mother  allowed  four  of  her 
LDS  children  (she's  not  a 
member)  to  leave  home  and  go 
among  strangers  to  gain  an 
education  and  learn  our  way  of 
life.  What  a  sacrifice!  I  won- 
der if  I  could  have  such 
strength.  Her  anxiety  would  be 
lessened  if  she  could  only  see 
how  the  buses  are  met  at  the 
BYU.  Each  boy's  hair  is  cut  by 
volunteer  barbers,  and  the  stu- 
dents are  examined  by  volunteer 
doctors,  dentists,  and  nurses. 
Friendly  members  of  the  Church 
help  them  freshen  up  and  feed 
them,  and  loving  families  drive 
them  to  their  homes  throughout 
the  state. 

We  had  the  opportunity  to 
meet  Don's  first  foster  family 
in  Kamas  recently,  and  his  fos- 
ter mother  there  expressed  how 
well  he  looked,  reminding  him 
how  thin  he  was  when  he  ar- 
rived at  their  home  for  the  first 
time.  That  first  winter  found 
him  much  heavier  and  able  to 
lift  a  bale  of  hay  over  his  head 
onto  a  truck. 

Don  has  entered  right  into 
family  life  with  us.  He  reads 
Book  of  Mormon  scriptures 
after  the  evening  meal  with  us, 
and    he    assumes    responsibility 


around  the  house  and  yard. 
Actually,  Jim,  he  keeps  his  share 
of  the  room  neater  than  you 
did!  He  helps  with  the  horses 
and  other  animals  and  even 
pitches  in  to  take  his  turn  with 
the  heavy  household  cleaning  on 
Saturdays.  Dad  got  some  ter- 
rific movie  action  shots  of  Russ 
and  Don  playing  basketball. 
Don  is  working  toward  becom- 
ing a  coach  when  he  returns  to 
his  reservation.  These  Indian 
youths  are  natural-born  athletes. 

We  are  learning  a  great  deal 
from  Don  as  he  shares  our 
home.  We  admire  his  courage 
to  stick  to  the  program,  even 
though  he  becomes  homesick  at 
times.  Our  way  of  life  is  often 
different  and  difficult,  but  he 
adapts  his  life  to  ours  readily 
and  willingly.  We  respect  his 
righteous  desires  to  be  a  mis- 
sionary to  his  people  and  to 
uplift  their  way  of  life.  We 
appreciate  his  strength  of  testi- 
mony and  strong  desire  to  keep 
the  commandments  of  his 
Father  in  heaven. 

We  are  learning  from  his 
calm  and  quiet  approach  to  life, 
his  insight  and  depth  of  under- 
standing, and  his  sense  of 
humor.  We  never  give  without 
receiving,  do  we,  Jim?  Oh,  on 
that  recent  outing  to  Kamas  we 
learned  too  that  he  was  as  stoic 


and  brave  as  one  would  expect 
an  Indian  to  be.  He  accidentally 
ran  a  broken  arrow  through  his 
hand  while  practicing  archery. 
Not  one  sound  came  from  him 
as  it  was  removed  and  attended 
to! 

It's  easy  to  accept  these  young 
people,  Jim,  as  you  get  to  know 
them.  They  are  so  talented  and 
sensitive  and  strong.  When  our 
Don  takes  his  turn  at  family 
prayers,  he  prays  from  a  heart 
full  of  appreciation  for  the  won- 
derful things  he  has  received 
from  all  the  families  he  has  lived 
with  over  the  years.  It  warms 
our  hearts,  I'll  tell  you,  to  sense 
his  deep  gratitude  for  the  bless- 
ings of  this  program. 

It's  interesting  to  see  how 
little  discouragement  or  criti- 
cism mothers  in  this  program 
have  for  the  young  Indian  stu- 
dents. They  feel  as  I  do — grate- 
ful to  be  a  part  of  it.  Oh,  we 
have  problems,  but  we  have 
them  with  our  own  children, 
too.  We  cope  with  them  the  best 
we  can  and  go  on  to  the  joys 
that  ordinary  living  permits.  I 
pray  daily  for  the  wisdom,  un- 
derstanding, and  strength  to 
make  this  experience  fruitful 
for  Don,  as  well  as  a  blessing 
to  our  family. 

Love, 

Mother 


Avant-Garden 
By  Thelma  Ireland 


To  write  of  nature  now  is  trite; 
Taboo  is  love  and  pale  moonlight; 
Passe  the  flowers,  bees,  and  birds; 
And  budding  trees  are  simply  words. 
So  I  will  write  an  ode  to  space, 
A  modern  theme — not  commonplace; 
A  challenge;  but  excuse  me,  please, 
While  I  watch  robins  in  the  trees. 


August   1968 


49 


50 


Era  of  Youth 


Samaritan 


By  Suzanne  Eyestone 


•  It  was  one  of  those  days  of  late  fall  when 

it  suddenly  freezes.     It  was  Sunday  morning,  and 

I  had  started  early  for  church,  driving  carefully 

to  avoid  patches  of  ice  along  the  road.    The 

car  warmed  and  I  sang  gaily  to  the  rhythm  of  the 

motor,  which  was  pulsing  and  coughing  in 

a  new  way.     My  breath  frosted  the  windshield 

in  fragile,  icy  designs. 

It  wasn't  until  I  stopped  for  a  red  light  that 
I  noticed  huge  clouds  billowing  up  from 
the  front  of  the  car. 

"Oh,  no,"  I  thought,  "I've  ruined  the  car." 

I  steered  to  the  curb,  turned  off  the  key,  and  got 
out.     I  lifted  the  hood  and  stared  at  the 
motor.     The  only  thing  I  knew  how  to  do  was  to 
remove  the  radiator  cap.     I  had  seen  Dad 
do  it  several  times. 

The  cap  was  hot  and  burned  my  fingers 
as  I  unscrewed  it,  jerking  it  off  as  quickly 
as  possible.     Steam  and  hot  water  hissed  out, 
narrowly  missing  my  wrist,  and  formed  more 
white  clouds  in  the  cold  air. 

"Oh,  no!    Oh,  no!"    New  anxiety  struck,  and  the 
tears  stung  around  my  eyes,  running  in  little 
lines  down  my  face. 

The  passing  cars  slowed,  and  the  passengers 
stared.     Sunday  pedestrians  also  looked 
as  they  walked  past,  hands  firmly  planted  in 
their  pockets. 

"Oh,  no!"    Sobbing  the  same  words 
over  and  over,  I  climbed  in  the  car  and  buried  my 
head  in  my  hands.     Church  would  have  to 
wait;  I  wasn't  going  anywhere. 

Several  minutes  later  someone  tapped  on 
the  window. 

"Need  some  help?" 

"Oh,  yes!"   I  nodded  in  both  relief 
and  gratitude. 

A  teenage  boy  was  peering  through  the 
glass.     Long  blond  hair  hung  around  his  face, 
almost  covering  his  eyes.     He  shivered  a 


little  and  buttoned  a  bright  purple  school  sweater 
with  thin  fingers.     A  pair  of  levis  and  some 
ornate  cowboy  boots  completed  his  outfit. 

"I  don't  know  what's  wrong,"  I  explained,  as 
I  climbed  from  the  car.     "The  motor  just 
started  steaming." 

He  bent  over,  looked  under  the  hood,  and 
felt  the  radiator. 

"Where  ya  headed?"  he  asked,  as  he  wiped 
his  hand  on  his  levis,  surveying  my  red-rimmed 
eyes  and  tear-streaked  cheeks. 

"Church,"  I  answered.     "I'm  supposed  to 
be  singing  in  the  choir." 

He  raised  an   eyebrow  slightly  at  the  word 
"church"  and  smiled. 

"Well,  it  looks  like  all  that  happened  was 
your  radiator  froze  up."     He  was  looking  under 
the  hood  again. 

"The  water  couldn't  get  through,  and 
it  heated  and  boiled  over."     He  poked  around 
a  bit  more  and  then  straightened  up  to 
look  at  me. 

"I  think  all  you'll  need  is  a  blanket  over 
the  radiator  for  a  few  minutes,  some  more 
water,  and  then  everything  should  be  okay." 

He  took  a   blanket  from   his  brightly 
painted,    late-model    car   and    carefully   covered 
the  radiator  and  the  hood. 

"There's  a  gas  station  a  few  blocks  from 
here.   I'll  go  get  some  water.    It'll  only  take 
a  few  minutes." 

He  revved  up  his  car  and  roared  around  the 
corner,  the  tires  squealing  faintly. 

Before  long  he  was  back,  pouring  water 
from  a  can  into  the  radiator.     He  waited 
while  I  started  the  car  and  then  followed  behind 
me  until  I  reached  the  church.    Then,  with  a 
honk  and  a  wave,  he  was  gone. 

"Hey,  wait!"  I  yelled  as  the  thought  dawned. 
"I  didn't  even  say  thank — "    But  then,  how  does 
1  one  thank  a  good  Samaritan?  O 


August  1968 


51 


LIVES  THAT  STAND 

iNSPECTlON'series 


Christian  Brotherhood 


There  was  an  air  of  expectancy  in  the 
room.  Several  hundred  Latter-day  Saint 
servicemen  had  been  permitted  brief  relief 
from  action  on  the  line  to  attend  the  Sun- 
day morning  religious  services. 

Those  who  had  come  early  greeted  each 
other  and  then  sat  quietly  as  visitors  and 
local  Base  officers  entered  the  room.  One 
of  those  in  attendance  was  the  Base  Chap- 
lain, a  man  of  high  rank  and  much  experi- 
ence. His  courtesy  in  coming  was  beyond 
the  call  of  duty.  He  had  already  arranged 
the  place  and  had  been  most  helpful  in 
cooperating  to  make  the  meeting  possible. 
His  coming  lent  an  extra  flavor  of  gra- 
ciousness  and  kindness,  and  those  present 
ivere  grateful.  While  not  a  member  of  the 
Church,  he  had  been  a  good  friend,  and 
he  was  called  upon  to  offer  a  few  words  of 


greeting.    What  he  said  amounted  to  far 
more  than  that. 

"Good  morning,  my  beloved  brothers  in 
Christ,"  he  said,  as  he  began.  The  spirit  of 
his  salutation  and  the  sincerity  of  it  and 
the  strength  of  it  touched  every  heart. 
Across  the  bounds  of  denomination  or  re- 
ligious difference  came  the  sweet,  sensitive 
spirit  of  a  devoted  man,  an  earnest  fol- 
lower of  Christ,  speaking  in  the  spirit  of 
the  Master  he  served. 

As  he  finished,  there  came  the  united, 
reverent  response  of  a  large  group  of 
brothers  in  Christ  who  responded  to  his 
loving  greeting  with  the  solemn  strength 
of  their  own  "Amen." 

We  had  seen  and  experienced  the  sweet 
blessing  of  brotherhood. 

Marion  D.  Hanks 


52 


Era  of  Youth 


Right  Reverend  Franklin  S.  Spalding, 
who  half  a  century  ago  sought  the  opinions 
of  Egyptologists  concerning  the 
Book  of  Abraham. 


Both  the  vignette  and  the  rubric  announce  that  this 

section   of   +he   Book   of  the   Dead   contains  a    "Speech    for   Taking 

the  form  of  a  Swallow,"  yet  the  chapter  itself  (No.  86) 

seems  to  say  nothing  whatever  on  the  subject.    This  is 

part  of  the  papyri,  rediscovered  by  Dr.  Aziz  Atiya,  that  the 

Prophet  Joseph  Smith  once  owned. 


A  New  Look  at  the 

Pearl  of  Great  Price 


•  With  the  five  giants  accounted  for, 
the  other  members  of  the  team  should 
not  detain  us  long.  But  first,  Theodule 
Deveria  (1831-1871)  deserves  a  word 
of  notice  because  he  wrote  the  first, 
the  longest,  and  the  most  carefully 
considered  report  on  the  Facsimiles 
that  has  appeared  to  date.1  Bishop 
Spalding  gives  short  shrift  to  Deveria 
because,  as  he  explains,  "unquestion- 
ably, this  matter  is  far  too  important 
to  depend  on  the  opinion  of  a  youth- 
ful amateur.  Such  an  important  matter 
deserves  the  thoughtful  consideration 
of  mature  scholars — of  the  world's 
ablest  Orientalists. "- 

Youthful?  When  Deveria  wrote  his 
study  of  the  Facsimiles  he  was  34 — 
two  years  older  than  Mercer  was  when 
he  did  the  same — fully  matured  and 
at  the  height  of  his  powers. 

Amateur?  At  17,  urged  by  the 
Egyptologist  Jules  Feuquieres,  Deveria 
had  plunged  into  Egyptology  while 
Charles  Lenormand  gave  him  Coptic 


By  Dr.  Hugh  Nibley 

Second  String 

lessons  and  August  Harle,  the  best 
Hebraist  of  his  time,  pushed  him  in 
Hebrew.  At  19  he  retranslated  an 
important  manuscript  formerly  ren- 
dered by  Champollion;  at  23  he  was 
publishing  in  Egyptology  and  in  the 
following  year  became  attached  to  the 
Department  of  Antiquities  of  the 
Louvre,  where  he  produced  the  first 
complete  catalogue  ever  made  of  a 
major  Egyptian  collection.  Still  in  his 
twenties,  he  succeeded  the  great 
Mariette  as  conservator  of  the  Egyptian 
museum  in  the  Louvre  and,  according 
to  de  Rouge,  produced  a  work  on  the 
Turin  Papyrus  that  "placed  Deveria 
among  the  masters."  It  was  only  the 
jealousy  of  his  superior  at  the  museum, 
A.  Mariette,  that  obscured  his  great 
contributions  to  Egyptology.''' 

Thoughtful  consideration?  Whereas 
Deveria  wrote  a  long  study,  two  of 
Spalding's  experts  dashed  off  notes  of 
a  hundred  words  only,  and  five  of 
them  wrote  less  than  a  page. 


World's  ablest  Orientalists?  Spal- 
ding deems  superior  to  Deveria  four 
men  besides  Mercer,  whose  combined 
output  in  Egyptology  could  not  begin 
to  "  approach  that  of  the  "youthful 
amateur."  We  have  already  considered 
Dr.  Mercer;  how  about  the  others? 

"Dr.  John  Peters,  University  of 
Pennsylvania.  In  charge  of  expedition 
to  Babylonia,  1888-1895."  In  1912  Dr. 
Peters  (1852-1921)  was  pastor  of  a 
church  in  New  York,  and  had  not  been 
at  the  University  of  Pennsylvania  for 
20  years.  When  Spalding's  good 
friend,  Professor  Pack,  discovered  this, 
he  was  quite  upset  and  wrote:  "For 
an  instant  I  was  paralysed.  .  .  .  Could 
it  be  possible  that  Dr.  Peters  is  not 
connected  with  the  University  of 
Pennsylvania,  but  is  a  rector  in  one  of 
New  York's  fashionable  churches?  No. 
I  could  not  believe  it.  .  .  .  you  had  led 
the  public  to  believe  that  Dr.  Peters  is 
at  the  University  of  Pennsylvania."1 
So  while  he  was  back  East  Dr.  Pack 


August  1968 


53 


made  a  number  of  visits  and  inquiries, 
and  summed  up  the  results  thus: 
"Now,  Dr.  Spalding,  this  looks  like 
plain  deceit.  Am  I  mistaken?  Why 
did  you  lead  the  public  to  believe  that 
Dr.  Peters  is  now  at  the  University  of 
Pennsylvania  when  you  knew  that  he 
left  there  twenty  years  ago?  Why  did 
you  hide  from  the  public  the  fact  that 
Dr.  Peters  is  a  rector  in  your  own 
church  and  has  been  for  years?"1 

To  be  sure,  being  the  rector  of  any- 
thing need  not  prevent  one  from  being 
also  an  Egyptologist,  but  Peters  was 
never  that.  He  had  taught  Hebrew  at 
Pennsylvania  for  eight  years,  and  he 
wrote  popular  books  on  the  Bible  and 
modern  politics,  but  his  name  appears 
nowhere  in  connection  with  Egyptian 
studies.  A  career  churchman,  he  had 
in  1912  just  finished  serving  six  years 
as  canon-residentiary  of  the  National 
Cathedral  in  Washington,  D.C.5  He 
is  another  of  those  devoted  churchmen 
who,  like  Sayce  and  Mercer,  combine 
with  the  dignity  of  the  cloth  an  intel- 
lectual contempt  for  the  supernatural 
and  an  ill-concealed  impatience  with 
those  who  would  interpret  the  Bible 
too  literally.  Dr.  Peters,  in  fact,  wrote 
a  book  showing  that  the  ancient  patri- 
archs were  nothing  but  myths,  legen- 
dary figures  "generously  clothed  with 
personal  traits  by  successive  genera- 
tions of  narrators"  by  whom  "striking 
episodes  have  been  introduced  into  the 
stories  and  even  romances  which  have 
no  inherent  connection  with  the  origi- 
nal legends."0  Along  with  "racial  and 
legendary"  elements,  the  history  of 
Abraham  combines  "features  of  a 
purely  romantic  character,  in  which 
we  are  to  see  no  other  meaning  than 
the  fancy  of  the  story-teller.  .  .  ."T 
In  all  the  story  of  the  man  Abraham, 
he  claimed,  there  is  not  a  word  of  real 
history. 

With  such  a  view  of  Bible  history, 
is  Dr.  Peters  the  man  to  give  serious 
attention  to  the  Book  of  Abraham  as 
history?  Peters'  ideas  reflect  the  con- 
sensus of  scholarly  opinion  in  his  day, 
and  that  of  the  Spalding  jury  in  par- 
ticular. At  that  time  the  establishment 


"He  combines  with  the  dignity 
of  the  cloth  an  intellectual  contempt 

for  the  supernatural. . . ." 


was  solidly  against  the  whole  concept 
of  the  Book  of  Abraham. 

"Dr.  Arthur  C  Mace,  Assistant 
Curator,  Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art, 
New  York,  Department  of  Egyptian 
Art."  Though  he  is  not  mentioned  in 
any  of  the  usual  biographical  sources 
nor  in  W.  R.  Dawson's  Who  Was 
Who  in  Egyptology,  1910-1914,  Dr. 
Mace  (1874-1928)  had  been  a  student 
of  Petrie  and  had  worked  with  the 
Hearst  collection  in  Berkeley  before 
going  to  the  Metropolitan.8  His  chance 
for  immortality  came  when  Howard 
Carter,  overwhelmed  with  work  and 
expense  on  the  tomb  of  Tutankhamen, 
asked  for  the  assistance  of  a  Metro- 
politan Museum  crew  who  were  work- 
ing close  by;  Mace  at  the  time  was 
taking  Dr.  Lythgoe's  place  in  charge 
of  the  work,  and  on  instructions  from 
the  latter  he  joined  the  Carter  enter- 
prise and  thus  had  a  part  in  the  most 
sensational  archaeological  discovery  of 
the  century.0  Dr.  Mace  was  an  archae- 
ologist and  not  a  philologist.  He 
assisted  in  the  publication  of  discov- 
eries by  and  for  the  museum,  but 
when  he  came  to  inscriptions,  even 
short  and  easy  ones,  he  turned  the 
work  over  to  others.10  His  one  serious 
attempt  to  deal  with  documentary 
sources,  a  study  called  "The  Influence 
of  Egyptian  on  Hebrew  Literature," 
(1922),  is  described  by  Raymond 
Weill  as  nothing  but  an  inferior  re- 
hash of  Herrman  Gunkel's  work  of 
1909  on  the  same  subject.13 

"Dr.  Albert  M.  Lythgoe,  Head  of 
the  Department  of  Egyptian  Art  of 
the  Metropolitan  Museum,"  should  be 
added  to  the  list,  since  Bishop  Spal- 
ding intended  to  consult  him  instead 
of  Arthur  C.  Mace,  who  was  his  under- 
study while  he  was  abroad.  Like  Mace, 


Dr.  Lythgoe  (1868-1933)  was  a  mu- 
seum man  and  a  collector  who  had 
been  a  pupil  of  Wiedemann  at  Bonn 
and  assisted  Reisner  in  the  field.  "His 
finest  achievement,"  according  to  his 
obituary,  ".  .  .  was  the  arrangement 
of  the  Egyptian  Collection  of  the 
Metropolitan  Museum  of  New  York."1- 
Arranging  collections  is  not  the  same 
thing  as  interpreting  abstruse  texts, 
and  the  long  interview  with  Lythgoe 
in  the  New  York  Times  reads  almost 
like  a  burlesque  of  pompous  scholar- 
ship: "To  make  very  clear  just  how 
great  a  hoax  the  Mormon  prophet 
perpetrated  upon  his  people,"  Lythgoe 
explains  to  the  reporters  with  magis- 
terial ease  exactly  how  Egyptian 
symbolism  originated  and  just  what 
Egyptian  religion  is  all  about,  as  he 
readily  identifies  solar  hymns  in  the 
Facsimiles,  and  twice  refers  to  Fac- 
simile I  as  depicting  the  sacrifice  of 
Isaac  by  Abraham.  The  whole  baffling 
complex  presented  "no  puzzle  to  Dr. 
Lythgoe,"  though  his  strange  theories 
of  Egyptian  religion  and  his  guesses 
about  the  Facsimiles  found  no  echo 
even  among  the  other  members  of  the 
Spalding  panel.13 

"Dr.  George  A.  Barton."  When  he 
was  challenged  by  the  Mormons, 
Bishop  Spalding  sought  further  sup- 
port from  the  learned  and  got  it 
from  Professor  Barton  (1859-1942), 
acknowledged  minister  of  the  Society 
of  Friends  (orthodox)  1879-1922, 
deacon  1918,  priest  1919,  D.D.  1924.1-' 
In  1912  Dr.  Barton's  book,  The  Heart 
o\  the  Christian  Message,  had  just 
gone  into  its  second  printing.  "Permit 
me  first  to  say,"  Professor  Barton  began 
his  contribution  to  the  Spalding 
cause,  "that,  while  I  have  a  smatter- 
ing of  Egyptology,  I  am  not  an  Egyp- 


54 


improvement  Era 


tqlogist"15 — and  indeed  we  have  al- 
ready seen  what  Dr.  Mercer  thought 
of  Barton  as  an  authority  on  Egypt.10 
But  he  was  a  minister,  thus  bringing 
to  five  the  number  of  non-Egyptologist 
ministers  sitting  in  judgment  as 
Egyptologists   on   Joseph   Smith. 

Barton  believed  that  the  "faker" 
Joseph  Smith  merely  attempted  to 
"imitate  Egyptian  characters,"  the 
result  being  "untranslatable  ...  as 
they  stand  they  do  not  faithfully  rep- 
resent any  known  writing."17  As  to 
the  Facsimiles,  the  experts  disagree 
about  them,  Mr.  Barton  explained, 
because  "these  pictures  were  differ- 
ently interpreted  at  times  by  the 
Egyptians  themselves,"  and  some  of 
the  jury  "have  given  the  original  in- 
terpretation of  the  symbolism,  and 
some  the  later  Egyptian  interpreta- 
tion."17 Odd,  that  that  explanation 
should  never  have  occurred  to  any  of 
the  experts  themselves,  who  might 
have  been  very  embarrassed  had  the 
Mormons  chosen  to  exploit  Professor 
Barton's  foolish  remarks. 

P.S.:  In  1915  the  University  of  Utah 
brought  in  Edgar  J.  Banks,  "one  of 
America's  most  distinguished  archae- 
ologists," to  put  the  final  seal  of 
authority  on  the  Spalding  enterprise.18 
Banks  (1866-1941)  had  already 
sounded  off  on  the  subject  in  the 
Christian  Herald  in  1913,  and  duly 
reported  through  the  pages  of  the 
prestigious  Literary  Digest  that  Dr. 
Spalding's  zeal  had  forever  discredited 
Mormonism  in  the  eyes  of  the  world 
and  the  more  intelligent  Mormons.11' 
Mr.  Banks  pictured  himself  in  Who's 
Who  decidedly  in  the  romantic  tradi- 
tion of  Richard  Haliburton.  He  had 
been  U.S.  consul  in  Baghdad  in  his 
youth,  organized  an  expedition  to 
excavate  Ur,  which,  however,  never 
got  into  the  field,  and  claimed  to  have 
discovered  in  1903  "a  white  statue  of 
king  David,  a  pre-Babylonian  king  of 
4500  B.C.  (oldest  statue  in  the 
world)."  While  Spalding  was  working 
on  his  grand  design  in  1912,  the  dash- 
ing Banks,  as  he  tells  us,  was  climbing 
Ararat  (17,210  feet  high — he  puts  that 


in  Who's  Who  too),  and  crossing  the 
Arabian  Desert  on  a  camel  (from 
where  to  where  he  does  not  say).20 

It  is  amazing,  unless  one  knows  this 
type  of  glamor-mongering  archaeolo- 
gist, that  Mr.  Banks,  after  months  in 
Salt  Lake  City  as  an  expert  on  the 
subject,  could  come  out  with  such 
howlers  as  that  "Smith  seems  to  have 
obtained  the  documents  from  a  sea 
captain,"21  that  it  was  the  Mormon 
officials  themselves  who  "turned  the 
manuscripts  over  to  Spalding"  with 
the  request  that  he  investigate  their 
authenticity,21  that  hypocephali  such 
as  Facsimile  2  (of  which  less  than 
50  were  known  at  the  time)  existed 
by  the  millions:  "It  has  been  esti- 
mated that  something  like  20,000,000 
of  Egyptian  mummies  have  been  dis- 
covered. .  .  .  Beneath  each  mummy's 
head,  [lay]  a  cushion.  .  .  .  The  disks, 
found  in  great  numbers,  are  nearly 
alike,  varying  only  slightly  with  the 
period  from  which  they  come."22 
Banks  also  announced  that  Joseph 
Smith  had  never  possessed  any  papyri 
at  all  but  only  such  little  plaster 
disks.23  Apparently  nothing  Mr.  Banks 
could  say  was  too  absurd  to  be  swal- 
lowed by  the  open-mouthed  scholars 
on  the  Bench  as  long  as  the  magic 
words  "science"  and  "progress"  were 
evoked  with  ritual  regularity.21 

We  should  not  leave  our  experts 
without  a  word  about  Sir  E.  A.  W. 
Budge  (1857-1934),  who  in  1903  had 
agreed  with  his  colleague  Woodward 
at  the  British  Museum  "in  declaring 
the  Prophet's  interpretation  bosh, 
rubbish.  .  .  ."2r'  This  was  a  demon- 
stration of  Budge's  "ferocious  bark, 
which  could  turn  to  biting  if  need 
be."20  Others  could  bark  back,  how- 
ever, and  when  Budge  gave  the 
Englishman  Thomas  Young  priority 
over  Champollion  in  the  translation  of 
Egyptian,  an  eminent  French  Egyp- 
tologist quoted  Peter  Renouf:  "No 
person  who  knows  anything  of  Egyp- 
tian philology  can  countenance  so 
gross  an  error."27  Jean  Capart  noted 
that  the  highest  praise  of  Budge  must 
also     be     his     severest    criticism — the 


phenomenal  productivity  for  which  he 
paid  too  high  a  price.2S  Animated  by 
the  laudable  objective  of  providing  as 
many  texts  as  possible  for  students  and 
as  many  translations  as  possible  for 
the  public,  Budge  dashed  off  the 
longest  list  of  publications  in  the 
entire  scope  of  Who's  Who.2S  To  do 
this  he  followed  no  plan,  paid  no 
attention  to  the  work  of  others,  never 
indicated  his  sources;  "his  interpreta- 
tion of  figures  is  extremely  defective," 
wrote  Capart,  "and  his  translations 
are  full  of  completely  erroneous 
ideas."29  "I  can  categorically  declare," 
wrote  the  same  critic,  of  Budge's  Gods 
of  the  Egyptians,  "that  it  is  bad;  the 
work  lacks  the  necessary  prepara- 
tion."30 As  R.  Campbell  Thompson 
observed,  Professor  Budge  was  always 
"in  too  great  a  hurry  to  finish."31  Will 
anyone  maintain  that  he  was  not  in  a 
hurry,  his  old  impulsive  blustering 
self,  when  he  offhandedly  condemned 
the  interpretations  of  the  Facsimiles? 

It  is  still  going  on:  If  nothing  else, 
our  long  involvement  with  the  affair 
of  1912  has  taught  us  something  about 
the  limitations  of  scholarship.  We 
should  know  by  now  the  meaning  of 
the  maxim,  "there  are  no  fields — there 
are  only  problems,"  with  its  corollaries 
that  familiarity  with  a  field  does  not 
mean  mastery  of  all  related  problems, 
since  no  major  problem  is  to  be  solved 
within  the  walls  of  any  one  depart- 
ment. Since  closed  systems  are  a  fic- 
tion, the  conclusions  of  science  must 
remain  tentative  forever:  ".  .  .  the 
method  of  critical  discussion  does  not 
establish  anything  [writes  Popper].  Its 
verdict  is  always  and  invariably  'not 
proven.     3- 

Consider  for  a  moment  the  scope 
and  complexity  of  the  materials  with 
which  the  student  must  cope  if  he 
would  undertake  a  serious  study  of  the 
Book  of  Abraham's  authenticity.  At 
the  very  least  he  must  be  thoroughly 
familiar  with  (1)  the  texts  of  the 
"Joseph  Smith  Papyri"  identified  as 
belonging  to  the  Book  of  the  Dead, 
(2)    the    content    and    nature    of   the 


August  1968 


55 


mysterious  "Sen-sen"  fragment,  (3) 
the  so-called  "Egyptian  Alphabet  and 
Grammar"  attributed  to  Joseph  Smith, 
(4)  statements  by  and  about  Joseph 
Smith  concerning  the  nature  of  the 
Book  of  Abraham  and  its  origin,  (5) 
the  original  document  of  Facsimile  1 
with  its  accompanying  hieroglyphic 
inscriptions,  (6)  the  text  of  the  Book 
of  Abraham  itself  in  its  various  edi- 
tions, (7)  the  three  Facsimiles  as  re- 
produced in  various  editions  of  the 
Pearl  of  Great  Price,  (8)  Joseph 
Smith's  explanation  of  the  Facsimiles, 
(9)  the  large  and  growing  literature  of 
ancient  traditions  and  legends  about 
Abraham  in  Hebrew,  Aramaic,  Arabic, 
Greek,  Slavonic,  etc.,  (10)  the  studies 
and  opinions  of  modern  scholars  on 
all  aspects  of  the  Book  of  Abraham. 

It  will  not  do  to  consider  just  one 
or  two  of  these  areas  before  passing 
judgment  on  the  Book  of  Abraham; 
yet  so  far  nobody  has  done  more  than 
that.  Who  can  hope  to  cover  all  that 
ground?  Only  a  lot  of  diligent  students 
with  plenty  of  time  and  big  libraries 
at  their  disposal.  That  is  why  we 
cannot  accept  as  final  the  brief  and 
scattered  departmental  studies  of  the 
Book  of  Abraham.  It  is  not  because 
we  do  not  respect  the  knowledge  and 
ability  of  the  experts  or  because  we 
feel  in  any  way  superior  to  them  (the 
world  will  not  see  another  Eduard 
Meyer  until  the  millennium),  but 
because  the  nature  of  the  problem  calls 
for  infinitely  more  care  and  study  than 
has  been  put  into  it. 

There  are  two  propositions  regarding 
the  Book  of  Abraham  that  none  can 
deny.  The  one  is  that  Joseph  Smith 
could  not  possibly  have  known  Egyp- 
tian as  it  is  understood  today.  The 
other  is  that  the  Prophet  has  put  down 
some  remarkable  things  in  the  pages 
of  the  Book  of  Abraham.  Why  should 
we  waste  time  on  Proposition  Num- 
ber 1?  What  can  we  say  about  a 
method  of  translation  that  completely 
escapes  us?  This  writer  is  anything 
but  an  Egyptologist,  yet  he  has  stood 
on  the  sidelines  long  enough  to  know 
that  there  is  no  case  to  be  made  out 


against  the  Book  of  Abraham  on  lin- 
guistic grounds  for  the  simple  reason 
that  Joseph  Smith  did  not  commit 
himself  beyond  the  interpretation  of 
the  Facsimiles.33  We  cannot  pretend 
to  understand  how  the  Book  of  Abra- 
ham was  translated,  but  that  should 
not  seriously  disturb  us,  since  nobody 
understands  the  method  by  which 
some  of  the  greatest  scholars  were  able 
to  translate  texts  that  no  one  else  could 
read — one  thinks  of  George  Smith, 
Edward  Hincks,  and  the  late  Francis 
Llewellyn  Griffith.  In  their  case,  it 
was  the  result  that  justified  the  intui- 
tion, and  not  the  other  way  around. 
So  let  it  be  with  Joseph  Smith:  we 
must  still  take  his  word  for  it  that  he 
was  actually  translating,  but  the  re- 
sult of  his  efforts  is  a  different  matter 
— could  such  a  monument  be  the  re- 
sult of  trickery  and  deceit?  It  is  Propo- 
sition 2  that  provides  us  at  last  with 
firm  ground  to  stand  on — and  none 
of  the  critics  have  ever  given  it  a 
moment's  thought! 

What  Joseph  Smith  tells  us  about 
Abraham  in  the  book  attributed  to 
him  can  now  be  checked  against  a 
large  corpus  of  ancient  writings,  un- 
available to  Joseph  Smith,  to  which 
we  shall  often  refer  in  the  pages  that 
follow.  He  has  also  given  us,  inde- 
pendent of  any  translated  text,  his 
interpretations  of  the  three  Facsimiles, 
and  it  is  to  these  that  we  now  address 
ourselves.  It  was  in  his  explanation 
of  the  Facsimiles,  it  will  be  recalled, 
that  our  experts  of  1912  were  con- 
vinced that  they  had  caught  the 
Prophet  out  of  bounds.  But  they  were 
wrong:  none  of  them  knew  nearly 
enough  about  the  Facsimiles  to  pass 
judgment  as  they  did.  That  we  do 
not  know  the  answers  is  beside  the 
point,  which  is  that  present-day 
scholarship  would  reverse  the  funda- 
mental principle  on  which  the  authori- 
ties of  more  than  half  a  century  ago 
rested  their  conclusions,  namely,  the 
conviction  that  Egyptian  writing  is  a 
good  deal  harder  to  interpret  than 
Egyptian  pictures.  Actually,  Mercer 
got  it  backwards  when  he  said  that 


The  largest  part  of  the 

consists  of 


"while  the  translation  of  ignorantly 
copied  hieroglyphs  is  a  precarious 
proceeding,  the  interpretation  of  Egyp- 
tian figures  is  a  comparatively  simple 
matter."34  For  the  beginner,  to  be 
sure,  this  is  true;  but  as  the  student 
gets  more  and  more  of  the  grammar 
and  vocabulary,  the  writing  naturally 
becomes  increasingly  easier  to  read; 
but  the  pictures  that  once  looked  so 
simple  and  obvious  become,  alas,  ever 
more  puzzling,  until  we  finally  get 
to  the  top  of  the  ladder  where  the 
full-fledged  Egyptologists  frankly  tell 
us  that  the  reading  of  a  text  is  far 
easier  than  the  correct  understanding 
of  symbolic  pictures. 

A  hundred  years  ago  Maspero  and 
Naville  agreed  that  "a  philologically 
easily  understood  sentence,  the  words 
and  grammar  of  which  give  us  not 
the  slightest  difficulty,"  often  conveys 
ideas  that  completely  escape  all  the 
experts,  these  being  also  the  ideas 
behind  the  pictures.35  And  today 
Professors  Wilson  and  Anthes  would 
concur  in  the  same  view.  The  latter 
calls  attention  to  our  "helplessness  in 
the  face  of  these  mythological  records," 
both  "texts  and  pictures,"30  while  Dr. 
John  A.  Wilson  suggests  the  amusing 
analogy  of  an  Eskimo  who  had  never 
heard  of  the  Bible  trying  to  make 
sense  of  the  old  hymn  "Jerusalem  the 
Golden";  he  "might  grasp  the  indi- 
vidual meanings  of  all  the  words  .  .  . 
but  he  would  still  be  puzzled  by  the 
allusions.  .  .  .  We  have  similar  trou- 
bles in  trying  to  apply  our  under- 
standing to  the  religion  of  the  ancient 
Egyptians,  which  dropped  out  of 
human  ken  for  more  than  1500 
years."37  The  ancient  pictures  have  a 
face  value  that  is  clear  enough  to  us 
and  to  the  Eskimo,  but  what  they  said 


56 


Improvement  Era 


...papyri   in  the  possession  of  the  Church 

fragments  from  the  Egyptian 
Book  of  the  Dead. . . ." 


to  an  Egyptian  is  another  matter. 

The  Mormons  were  not  slow  in 
calling  attention  to  this  fatal  limita- 
tion to  the  understanding  of  the  Fac- 
similes: "I  repeat,"  wrote  Dr.  John  A. 
Widtsoe,  "that  something  more  must 
be  done  than  to  label  a  few  of  the 
figures  Osiris,  Isis  or  Anubis  before 
Joseph  Smith  can  be  placed  in  'the 
same  class  of  fakers  as  Dr.  Cook.'  "3S 
The  mere  names  tell  us  nothing  un- 
less we  can  also  tell  "who  and  what 
were  Isis  and  Horus  and  all  the  other 
gods  of  Egypt?  Not  by  name  and  rela- 
tionship, but  as  expressing  the  Egyp- 
tian's vision  of  .  .  .  the  past,  the 
present  and  the  hereafter?"30  Sjodahl 
and  Webb  asked  similar  questions, 
but  the  Mormons  were  ignored  be- 
cause they  were  not  Egyptologists.  Yet, 
shortly  before,  Georg  Steindorff  had 
written:  "We  know  relatively  little 
about  Egyptian  religion  in  spite  of  the 
abundance  of  pictures  and  religious 
texts  of  ancient  Egypt  which  have 
come  down  to  us.  We  know,  it  is  true, 
the  names  and  the  appearances  of  a 
large  number  of  divinities,  we  know 
in  which  sanctuaries  they  were  hon- 
ored, but  until  now  we  have  but  few 
notions  about  their  nature,  and  the 
significance  which  the  people  and  the 
priests  gave  to  them  and  the  legends 
attached  to  their  persons."40  And  to- 
day Jaroslav  Cerny  can  still  write: 
"For  the  Old  and  Middle  Kingdom 
there  are  hardly  more  than  proper 
names  to  give  us  a  glimpse  into  the 
beliefs  of  the  common  people  and 
their  relationships  to  the  gods,"41 
while  Jequier  points  out  that  the 
"shocking  contradictions"  in  the  in- 
terpretation of  religious  imagery  "show 
us  that  we  have  not  yet  found  the 
truth."42   There  is  nothing  for  it,  says 


Jequier,  but  for  each  scholar  to  con- 
tinue on  his  way,  "each  interpreting 
in  his  own  manner  and  according  to 
his  means  .  .  .  and  so  gradually  pene- 
trate the  mystery  of  the  Egyptian 
religions."42  These  were  the  very 
points  that  the  Mormons  were  trying 
to  make  and  that  the  opposition, 
determined  at  any  price  to  give  the 
impression  of  great  and  definitive 
knowledge,  quietly  ignored. 

The  Book  of  the  Dead:  The  largest 
part  of  the  Joseph  Smith  papyri  in 
the  possession  of  the  Church  consists 
of  fragments  from  the  Egyptian  Book 
of  the  Dead,  the  fragments  having 
been  recently  translated  and  discussed 
by  no  less  a  scholar  than  Professor 
John  A.  Wilson  of  the  Oriental  Insti- 
tute.43 "Scholars  had  barely  begun 
the  study  of  the  Book  of  the  Dead," 
Edouard  Naville  recalled,  "when  they 
saw  that  the  text  swarms  with  diffi- 
culties .  .  .  the  prevailing  mysticism, 
the  abundance  of  images,  the  oddity 
of  the  pictures,  the  impossibility  of 
knowing  how  the  Egyptians  expressed 
even  the  simplest  abstract  ideas — all 
offer  formidable  obstacles  with  which 
the  translator  is  continually  col- 
liding."44 

These  points  can  be  illustrated  by 
the  most  easily  recognized  section  of 
the  Joseph  Smith  papyri,  namely,  the 
fragment  with  the  picture  of  a  swal- 
low, Chapter  86  of  the  Book  of  the 
Dead.  It  is,  according  to  the  rubric 
(the  title  in  red  ink),  "A  Spell  for 
Becoming  a  Swallow."  But  what  do 
we  find?  To  this  day  Egyptologists 
cannot  agree  on  just  what  is  meant  by 
"spell" — is  it  a  recitation?  an  ordi- 
nance? an  act  of  meditation?  an  incan- 
tation? merely  a  chapter?  Neither  does 


anyone  know  for  sure  in  what  sense 
the  "transformation"  is  to  be  under- 
stood— whether  it  is  a  change  of  form, 
a  transmigration,  imitation,  moment 
of  transition,  passage  from  one  world 
to  another,  mystic  identification,  ritual 
dramatization,  or  what  not.  And  what 
about  this  business  of  becoming  a 
swallow?  In  the  same  breath  the 
speaker  announces  that  he  is  a  scor- 
pion, and  after  the  title  there  is 
nothing  in  the  text  that  even  remotely 
suggests  anything  having  to  do  with 
a  swallow — literal,  typological,  alle- 
gorical, or  mystical.  Certainly  what 
the  subject  does  is  most  unswallow- 
like  and  unscorpion-like  as  he  ad- 
vances on  his  two  legs  and  stretches 
forth  his  two  arms  in  the  accepted 
human  fashion.4"  Strangely,  the  titles 
are  often  easier  to  understand  than 
the  sections  that  go  with  them,  as  if, 
Thomas  George  Allen  points  out,  the 
two  were  of  different  origin  and  his- 
tory.40 

Such  confusion  may  in  part  be 
explained  by  the  alarming  fact  that 
the  ancient  scribes  who  produced 
these  documents  were  often  unable  to 
read  what  they  were  writing.  By  the 
twenty-first  dynasty,  Naville  noted, 
the  ignorance  of  the  scribes  reached 
the  point  (toward  which  it  had  long 
been  steadily  tending)  of  complete 
miscomprehension  of  their  own  texts, 
betrayed  by  the  common  habit  of 
copying  entire  sections  backwards!47 
"Even  in  their  original  state,"  how- 
ever, Professor  Allen  assures  us,  "the 
sanctity  of  the  spells  proper  was  fur- 
thered by  intentional  obscurities,"48  so 
that  no  matter  how  far  back  we  go 
we  will  always  be  in  trouble. 

At  all  times,  W.  Czermak  observes, 
"the  concrete  wording  of  the  Book  of 
the  Dead  is  illogical  and  fantastic," 
but  its  religious  sense,  he  insists,  is 
not;  if  we  confine  our  researches, 
therefore,  to  the  examination  of  the 
text,  as  almost  all  students  do,  we  are 
bound  to  get  nowhere.49  This  is  not 
a  paradox:  the  divine  words  don't 
need  to  make  sense  in  order  to  be 
taken  seriously.    For  some  years  this 


August   1968 


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58 


writer  taught  classes  of  Moslem  stu- 
dents who  gloried  in  the  thrilling 
sound  of  the  Koran  while  resenting, 
some  of  them  fiercely,  any  suggestion 
that  a  mortal  listening  to  those  words 
might  possibly  understand  their  mean- 
ing— their  incomprehensibility  was  a 
stamp  of  divinity. 

The  Book  of  the  Dead  is  a  huge 
Chinese  puzzle.  In  the  first  place,  no 
two  copies  arc  just  alike  and  most  of 
them  differ  widely,  so  widely,  in  fact, 
that  if  we  were  to  gather  together  all 
the  materials  in  all  the  various  copies 
and  reconstruct  from  them  a  single 
standard  text,  "the  whole  would  make 
an  ensemble  that  would  be  hard  to 
reproduce  and  even  harder  to  use."30 
The  pictures  often  have  nothing  to  do 
with  the  texts  they  accompany,  and 
sometimes  illustrate  things  not  found 
in  the  book  at  all.51  Texts  and  pic- 
tures (they  are  usually  called 
vignettes)  were  usually  done  by  dif- 
ferent persons,  and  "generally  speak- 
ing, the  beauty  of  the  vignettes  runs 
counter  to  the  goodness  of  the  text."32 
By  the  same  token  some  of  the  most 
beautifully  written  texts  are  among 
the  worst  in  grammar  and  spelling, 
for  everything  seems  to  go  by  mere 
appearances,  so  that  the  relation  be- 
tween the  effectiveness  of  a  certain 
spell  and  the  actual  contents  of  the 
spell  is  "often  incomprehensible."53 
Texts  were  valued  long  after  their  real 
meaning  was  lost  from  sight  because 
"the  magical  use  of  these  old  religious 
texts  is  based  on  their  external  aspects; 
it  is  magic,  not  religion  that  loves 
learned  obscurity,  actually  taking 
pleasure  in  what  is  incomprehensible 
because  of  its  mysterious  allure."54 
This  means  that  the  documents  defy 
classification,  each  being  "an  agglom- 
eration of  texts  related  in  content 
but  coming  from  different  epochs  and 
backgrounds."55 

Anything  Goes!  Since  the  Egyptians 
were,  as  is  well  known,  the  most  con- 
servative of  people,  and  since  funerary 
rites,  as  is  equally  well-known,  belong 
to     the     most     tradition-bound     and 


Improvement  Era 


". . .  each  individual  was  free  to  impose 
his  private  taste  and  his  personal 
history  into  the  record 
whenever  he  saw  fit." 


conservative  department  of  human 
activity,  it  is  quite  baffling  to  find 
just  in  this  particular  branch  of  this 
particular  culture  what  seems  to  be  a 
total  lack  of  official  or  social  control. 
Everything  is  up  to  individual  choice: 
some  vignettes  drawn  to  order  for  a 
particular  buyer  might  in  the  end  be 
bought  by  somebody  else  ordering 
completely  different  texts  to  go  with 
them;"'1  sometimes  a  text  chosen  by 
one  person  would  catch  the  fancy  of 
others  who  would  order  the  same  for 
themselves;57  individuals  would  for 
their  private  funeral  texts  "borrow, 
apparently  without  a  qualm,  many  of 
the  Pyramid  Texts,  including  their 
implications  of  royalty,"  while  at  the 
same  time  blithely  composing  new 
chapters  on  the  spot  to  suit  their 
fancy. r,s  If  a  person  did  not  under- 
stand an  old  text,  that  made  little 
difference — he  would  simply  latch  on 
to  something  in  the  manuscript  that 
caught  his  fancy,  even  if  it  was  only 
a  single  word  or  symbol,  and  put  it 
down  for  its  magical  use/'9  "Some- 
times a  space  was  kept  blank  for  a 
vignette  which  was  to  record  some 
special  feature  of  the  deceased. "°°  As 
to  the  order  in  which  the  texts  oc- 
curred, there  was  no  fixed  order,  and 
different  general  arrangements  were 
popular  at  different  periods.01 

It  will  be  useful  to  keep  all  this  in 
mind  when  we  consider  the  Facsimiles, 
which  have  been  brushed  aside  as 
"typical"  Egyptian  funerary  docu- 
ments, though  uniqueness  is  a 
conspicuous  characteristic  of  such 
documents,  and  the  Facsimiles  are 
among  the  strangest.  Completely 
counter  to  what  one  would  expect  in 
an  ancient  and  venerable  tradition  of 
ritual  documentation,  each  individual 


was  free  to  impose  his  private  taste 
and  his  personal  history  into  the 
record  whenever  he  saw  fit:  ".  .  .  each 
copy,"  according  to  T.  G.  Allen,  "com- 
prised a  collection  of  spells  both 
selected  and  arranged  on  a  more  or 
less  individualistic  basis."6-  And  this 
goes  for  the  oldest  funerary  monu- 
ments as  well  as  the  latest  crude 
papyri:  "Not  one  of  the  mortuary 
Temples  hitherto  excavated  has  proved 
to  be  an  exact  replica  of  any  other 
known  example.  "e3  Typical  is  the 
representation  of  the  rite  of  the  open- 
ing of  the  mouth,  depicted  in  some  80 
tombs  over  a  period  of  more  than  1500 
years:  all  but  seven  of  the  tombs  offer 
only  "an  extremely  curtailed  repre- 
sentation," no  single  tomb  shows  the 
entire  rite,  and  what  one  tomb  shows 
another  does  not;  also,  during  the  long 
centuries  of  transmission  "no  syste- 
matic variation"  appears. GI 

It  was  at  first  assumed  that  the 
Book  of  the  Dead  was  a  ritual  text, 
and  Champollion  gave  it  the  name  of 
the  Egyptian  Funeral  Ritual;  but  that 
interpretation  was  given  up  when  it 
was  recognized  that  no  ritual  is  de- 
scribed: There  is  not  a  single  mention 
in  the  Book  of  the  Dead  of  anything 
that  the  dead  person  or  any  priest  or 
any  member  of  the  family  is  required 
to  do/15  Taken  as  a  whole  or  a  part, 
"one  gathers  the  impression  that  the 
compilers  of  the  Book  of  the  Dead 
included  any  religious  material  suit- 
able for  recitation  as  a  spell  regardless 
of  its  contents. "GG 

As  an  illustration  of  this  puzzling 
unconventionality,  we  may  take  the 
best-known  picture  from  the  Book  of 
the  Dead,  the  well-known  judgment 
scene  or  "Psychostasy,"  a  fine  example 
of  which   is  found  among  the  Joseph 


Smith  papyri.  This  judgment  of  the 
dead  is  the  sort  of  thing  that  any 
amateur  expert  could  explain  at  first 
glance,  but  those  with  experience  tell 
us  that  "we  do  not  even  know  what 
significance  it  may  have  had  for  the 
dead."07  Though  the  scene  occurs  in 
many  copies  of  the  Book  of  the  Dead, 
it  is  by  no  means  found  in  all  of  them, 
and  it  would  seem  that  "not  all  the 
dead  are  required  to  stand  judgment."07 
What  is  more,  there  is  no  indication 
anywhere  that  standing  trial  success- 
fully will  lead  to  any  kind  of  blessed- 
ness, nor  any  certainty  whatever  about 
what  is  supposed  to  happen  to  the 
wicked  in  the  hereafter;  and  except 
for  its  occasional  representation  in  the 
Book  of  the  Dead,  the  idea  of  judgment 
is  nowhere  so  much  as  hinted  at  in  all 
of  the  Egyptian  documents.08  The 
dead  person  is  tried  for  42  sins:  "How 
strange!"  cries  Naville,  "the  42  sins 
are  not  the  same  in  all  the  texts."09 

We  often  read  of  transformations, 
the  capacity  of  the  dead  to  assume 
whatever  form  he  will,  "but  not  all 
the  dead  take  advantage  of  this  privi- 
lege and  nothing  obliges  them  to  do 
so."09a  Transmigration  may  be  indi- 
cated, "but  there  is  no  doctrine  of 
compulsory  transmigration."70  In  fact, 
in  all  this  vast  literature  of  the 
beyond,  "there  is  neither  a  system  nor 
any  definite  ideas  about  the  fate  of 
the  dead  beyond  the  grave.  ...  In  the 
Book  of  the  Dead  the  goal  is  as  un- 
certain as  is  the  way  to  get  there.  .  .  . 
there  is  no  compulsion  and  no  neces- 
sity."71 Down  through  the  centuries 
of  tradition  there  is  not  the  slightest 
indication  "of  any  authoritative 
transmission  of  theological  interpreta- 
tions."7- And  yet,  in  spite  of  this  lack 
of  controls,  we  cannot  learn  from 
these  sources  what  the  Egyptians 
really  thought  of  death,  for  all 
thoughts  on  the  subject  such  as  occur 
in  their  secular  writings  have  been 
rigidly  excluded.7"  The  one  safe,  or 
at  least  what  Gardiner  calls  the  "most 
valuable,"  guideline  to  the  under- 
standing of  Egyptian  texts,  that  is, 
"the  logic  of  the  situation,"  is  denied 


August   1968 


59 


Put  the  magic  of 

Sugarplum  Land 

in  your  meals 


suggests  this 
delicious, 
easy  to  make 
peach  jam  for 
a  real  family 
taste  treat. 


FROZEN  PEACH  JAM 


3  cups  crushed  peaches 

(about  2V2  pounds) 
5  cups  sugar 

1  package  powdered  pectin 
1  cup  water 


Sort  and  wash  fully  ripe  peaches, 
remove  pits  and  skins,  and  crush  fruit. 
Measure  peaches  into  a  large  mixing 
bowl.  Add  sugar.  Mix  well,  and  let 
stand  for  20  minutes,  stirring  occasion- 
ally. Dissolve  pectin  in  water;  bring 
to  a  boil,  and  boil  for  1  minute.  Add 
pectin  solution  to  the  fruit  and  sugar 
mixture.  Stir  for  2  minutes.  Ladle  the 
jam  into  jelly  glasses  or  freezer  con- 
tainers, leaving  Vs-inch  space  at  the 
top.  Cover  the  containers  and  let 
stand  for  24  to  48  hours.  Makes  about 
9  six-ounce  glasses.  Store  uncooked 
jam  in  a  refrigerator  or  freezer.  It  can 
be  held  for  a  few  months  in  a  refri- 


gerator or  up  to  a  year  in  a  freezer. 
If  kept  at  room  temperature,  it  will 
mold  or  ferment  in  a  short  time.  Once 
a  container  is  opened,  the  jam  should 
be  used  within  a  few  days. 

NOTE:  If  jam  is  too  firm  for  serving 
when  opened,  it  can  be  softened  by 
stirring.  If  it  tends  to  separate,  stirring 
will  blend  it  again. 


Where  is  Sugarplum  Land?  It's  all  around  you  if  you  live  where  sugarbeets 
are  grown.  U  and  I  Sugar  sweetens  the  economy  of  these  areas. 


UTAH-IDAHO  SUGAR  COMPANY 

Factories  in  Garland  and  West  Jordan,  Utah; 
near  Idaho  Falls,  Idaho;  Moses  Lake  and  Toppenlsh,  Washington. 


60 


us  here  in  this  timeless,  spaceless  story 
without  a  development  and  without  a 
plot.7i 

The  Book  of  the  Dead  stands  in  line 
of  descent  of  a  very  ancient  corpus  of 
writings  beginning  with  the  Pyramid 
Texts.  The  so-called  Coffin  Texts, 
standing  midway  between  the  Pyramid 
Texts  and  the  Book  of  the  Dead,  "con- 
tain in  about  equal  number1'  chapters 
found  on  the  one  hand  in  the  Pyramid 
Texts  and  on  the  other  in  the  Book 
of  the  Dead,  while  there  are  many 
passages  in  the  Coffin  Texts  that  are 
found  in  neither  of  the  other  two,75 
some  of  these  being  nonetheless  just 
as  old  as  the  Pyramid  Texts  them- 
selves.70 "The  Coffin  Texts,"  says 
Lacau,  "overwhelm  us  with  un- 
answered questions,"77  mostly  the 
same  questions  that  confront  us  in  the 
Book  of  the  Dead.78  It  seemed  to 
Breasted  that  "the  priests  to  whom 
we  owe  the  Coffin  Text  compilations 
allow  their  fancy  to  roam  at  will,"  so 
that  "it  is  difficult  to  gain  any  co- 
herent conception  of  the  hereafter 
which  the  men  of  this  age  hoped  to 
attain."79 

Thus,  we  see  that  the  problems  of 
the  Book  of  the  Dead  are  not  merely 
the  result  of  decadent  and  sloppy 
thinking;  in  fact,  the  same  problems 
meet  us  in  the  very  beginning,  where 
the  priests  of  Heliopolis  in  compiling 
the  Pyramid  Texts  selected  those 
"sayings"  which  they  considered  most 
desirable  for  particular  individual 
kings. su  The  Pyramid  Texts  were  used 
in  ritual,  but  already  "the  Coffin  texts 
have  deserted  the  firm  ground  of 
ritual,"  presenting  a  "kaleidoscope  of 
ideas  that  do  not  reflect  the  cult  but 
are  very  free."81  Though  the  Coffin 
Texts  differ  widely  from  coffin  to  cof- 
fin and  follow  no  plan  of  organization, 
they  do  all  have  certain  ideas  in 
common,  according  to  Louis  Speleers, 
namely,  (1)  the  idea  of  a  physical 
resurrection  and  a  spiritual  existence 
in  eternity,  and  (2)  the  reception  of 
the  dead  by  Osiris.82  The  doctrine  of 
Osiris  lies  at  the  heart  of  the  business, 
yet  in  all  of  Egyptian  literature  "no 


Improvement  Era 


The  view  that  "the  Book  of  the  Dead 

is  nothing  but. .  .fantastic  ideas"  is  the  easy 
way  of  "escaping  a  humiliating  confession 
of  ignorance. .  .  ." 


systematic  exposition  of  this  myth  is 
known,"83  and  we  would  know 
nothing  whatever  about  it  were  it  not 
for  the  remarks  of  some  poorly  in- 
formed Greeks. Sf  As  in  the  Book  of 
the  Dead,  the  coffin  text  owner  is  al- 
ways going  somewhere,  "but  where  he 
is  going  on  his  long  road  is  not  to  be 
clearly  discerned  from  the  spells."*5 
"Yet  there  is  method  in  't":  The 
scholars  who  condemned  the  Fac- 
similes in  1912  by  labeling  them 
scenes  from  the  Book  of  the  Dead 
never  bothered  to  answer  the  urgent 
question  of  J.  M.  Sjodahl,  "What  is 
then  the  Book  of  the  Dead?"8"  The 
question  is  still  in  order.  Since  the 
beginning,  "the  idea  has  prevailed 
that  the  Book  of  the  Dead  is  nothing 
but  a  conglomeration  of  fantastic 
ideas,'1  but  that,  as  leading  Egyptolo- 
gists are  pointing  out  today,  was  just 
the  easy  way  of  escaping  a  humiliating 
confession  of  ignorance  and  a  crushing 
commitment  to  years  of  hard  work.87 
As  a  result,  "the  'illogic'  of  the  Egyp- 
tians has  almost  become  an  article  of 
faith  in  our  science — much  to  its 
loss."88  We  have  been  told  ad  nau- 
seam that  things  that  supposedly 
intelligent  Egyptians  took  seriously 
were  "unmitigated  rubbish,"8"  that 
Egyptian  religion  is  "inarticulate, 
fuzzy,  and  incoherent  from  the  logical 
point  of  view,"90  that  "the  mentality 
of  the  East"  will  forever  escape  us 
logical  Westerners,91  that  the  Egyp- 
tians "like  all  primitives  emerging 
from  the  night  of  prehistoric  times 
had  yet  to  discover  and  explore 
the  real  world,"02  that  "ancient  Egyp- 
tian religion  was  a  motley  mixture  of 
childishly  crude  fetishism  and  deep 
Philosophic  thought,"93  "...  a  hotch- 
potch of  warring  ideas,  without  real 


unity  of  any  kind."04 

Perhaps  the  most  enlightening  dis- 
course on  this  theme  is  that  of  Pro- 
fessor Louis  Speleers,  who  in  his  work 
on  the  Coffin  Texts  takes  the  Egyp- 
tians to  task  with  great  feeling  for 
holding  religious  beliefs  that  clash  at 
every  point  with  the  teaching  of 
Roman  Catholic  scholastic  philosophy. 
He  is  shocked  to  find  among  the  Egyp- 
tians "the  total  absence  of  the  idea  of 
an  Absolute  Being,"  but  in  its  place  the 
concept  of  a  God  who  is  "but  man  on 
a  higher  scale."9""'  Their  unpardonable 
sin  is  to  prefer  concrete  to  abstract 
terms:  they  "ignore  the  Absolute 
Good"  to  describe  eternal  bliss  "in 
terms  of  earthly  objectives."90  In 
their  thinking,  "everything  is  as  ma- 
terial and  concrete  as  the  Christian 
metaphysic  is  abstract  and  spiritual."97 
Even  worse,  if  possible,  they  fail  to 
place  rigorous  logic  before  all  other 
considerations:  "These  ancients  al- 
ways proceed  by  simple  affirmation 
and  negation.  .  .  .  They  don't  think, 
they  only  'feel'  ...  no  critical  sense, 
no  method."98  Thus,  they  "expect 
to  live  forever  with  their  neighbors 
and  the  delights  of  material  things 
while  at  the  same  time  sharing  the 
life  of  gods  and  spirits."99  "It  is  as  if 
the  principle  of  contradiction  .  .  .  did 
not  exist  for  them."100  Disgustingly 
egocentric,  too,  with  the  individual 
clinging  to  his  personal  identity 
throughout  the  eternities;101  which  is 
highly  unscientific  to  the  bargain, 
what  with  the  "transposition  of  earth- 
ly things  to  a  divine  existence  and  of 
a  dead  person  to  another  world  .  .  .  ," 
and  otherwise  "accepting  the  most 
improbable  miracles,  denying  the  laws 
of  nature  as  we  understand  them."102 
It    all    bespeaks    "a    disorder    of    the 


brain  .  .  .  which  provokes  in  us  a 
horror  of  everything  that  offends  our 
more  or  less  innate  sense  of  logic."10" 
"As  to  their  cosmology  .  .  .  there  is 
nothing  in  common  between  certain 
of  their  cerebral  conceptions  and  our 
own  intellectual  operations";  where 
Christian  thinking  "applies  the  most 
rigorous  logic,"  the  Egyptian  "accepts 
the  most  shocking  contradictions,"  of 
the  most  "rudimentary  and  childish 
thinking."101 

Significantly  enough,  Dr.  Speleers 
admits  that  the  early  Christians  were 
guilty  of  the  Egyptian  type  of  think- 
ing, regarding  heaven  and  hell,  for 
example,  as  definite  places,  "and  it 
was  only  in  the  course  of  the  Middle 
Ages  [that  is,  thanks  to  the  efforts  of 
Scholastic  philosophy]  that  they  were 
recognized  as  a  'psychic  state'  of  hu- 
man existence.""1""'  And  even  as  the 
Egyptians  could  not  think  of  existence 
without  some  physical  base,  "one  must 
recognize  that  the  Christians  them- 
selves could  not  free  themselves  from 
this  idea  until  a  certain  period  of  time 
had  passed,  and  even  then  only  to  a 
certain  degree."11"''  To  bring  out  their 
glaring  contrast,  Professor  Speleers 
places  certain  of  his  own  beliefs  side 
by  side  with  their  Egyptian  oppo- 
sites;  and  given  the  choice  between 
the  two,  there  can  be  little  question 
but  that  the  Latter-day  Saint  would 
choose  the  Egyptian  version  every 
time.  Indeed,  at  the  present  time, 
Catholics  are  becoming  rather  cool  to 
the  appeal  of  Scholastic  philosophy, 
and  many  Egyptologists  are  beginning 
to  ask  whether  the  Egyptians  were 
such  fools  after  all.  As  examples  of 
some  of  his  own  impeccable  logic. 
Speleers  tells  us  how  "God  through 
the  mediation  of  his  creatures  becomes 
aware  of  that  which  He  is  not,"107  and 
how  the  human  soul  "requires  to  be 
resurrected  in  a  body,  but  .  .  .  purged 
of  all  necessity  of  organs."108  And  he 
calls  the  Egyptians  confused! 

From  the  very  first  there  were  emi- 
nent Egyptologists  who  suspected  that 
people  as  clever  as  the  Egyptians  could 
not  possibly  have  been  as  anti-logical 


August   1968 


61 


as  they  seem  to  be  from  their  writings. 
What  we  have  in  the  texts,  they 
argued,  must  represent  the  breakdown 
of  a  religion  which  in  the  beginning 
was  entirely  logical.109  The  most 
widely  accepted  explanation  for  all  the 
confusion  was  the  well-known  deter- 
mination of  the  Egyptians  to  throw 
nothing  away:  ideas,  images,  and 
stories  originating  in  remote  times  and 
places  were  all  welcomed  by  the  Egyp- 
tian community  and  retained  side  by 
side,  with  ingenious  efforts  to  explain 
their  clashing  coexistence  and,  when 
these  failed,  a  good-natured  and  per- 
manent hospitality,  that  "liberal"  or 
"additive"  attitude  that  allowed  room 
for  everybody  in  the  temple.110 

Along  with  this,  we  have  today  an 
increasing  tendency  to  seek  the  ex- 
planation of  many  paradoxes  not  in 
Egyptian  intransigence  but  in  our 
own  ignorance  of  what  was  really 
going  on.  "We  cannot  subscribe," 
wrote  Henri  Frankfort,  "to  the  preva- 
lent view  that  .  .  .  the  Egyptians  held 
a  number  of  incompatible  ideas  in 
hazy  or  muddleheaded  confusion," 
this  false  idea  being  "founded  on  a 
discrepancy  between  our  own  outlook 
and  the  views  and  intentions  of  the 
ancients."111  Alan  Shorter  seconds 
this:  "We  are  apt  to  stigmatize  as 
'contradictory'  '  the  apparently  con- 
fused ideas  which  run  through  .  .  . 
many  Egyptian  texts,  when  perhaps 
it  is  ourselves  who  are  interpreting 
them  too  literally."112  F.  Daumas  lays 
down  some  rules  to  be  observed  in 
the  reading  of  Egyptian  religious 
texts:  (1)  Assume  a  minimum  of 
errors  in  a  text,  always  giving  the 
Egyptians  instead  of  ourselves  the 
benefit  of  the  doubt.  (2)  "Believe 
that  if  we  do  not  understand  it  is 
because  we  are  badly  informed,  rather 
than  imputing  a  shortage  of  intelli- 
gence to  the  Egyptians.  .  .  .  Let  us  not 
be  hasty  to  condemn  what  on  first 
sight  looks  chaotic  and  confused."11'5 
It  was  for  failing  to  observe  these 
principles,  it  will  be  recalled,  that 
Professor  Mercer  was  taken  severely  to 
task   by   his    reviewers.111     "Our    atti- 


'I  have  never  met  a  specialist," 

wrote  Professor  Anthes, 
who  did  not  have  the  highest  respect 
for  the  Egyptian  craftsman. . . .' 


tude  to  the  Egyptians,"  wrote  Daumas, 
"has  been  that  of  children  who  find 
their  parents  to  be  outmoded  and  old- 
fashioned  and  conclude  from  that  that 
they  must  be  absolute  nincompoops"; 
to  fall  back  on  Egyptian  unreason  to 
explain  what  we  cannot  understand 
is  not  a  sound  practice:  "it  is  a  vessel 
that  leaks  on  all  sides,  and  it  leads 
quickly  ...  to  the  conviction  that  the 
Egyptians  were  utterly  stupid."115  In 
the  same  vein  the  eminent  Egyptol- 
ogist Adrian  de  Buck  chided  those 
who  find  fault  with  the  Egyptian 
language  as  primitive  and  defective: 
the  real  fault  with  the  language  of  the 
Egyptians,  de  Buck  points  out,  is,  after 
all,  simply  that  it  is  not  our  lan- 
guage.110 

"I  have  never  met  a  specialist," 
writes  Professor  Anthes,  "who  did  not 
have  the  highest  respect  for  the  Egyp- 
tian craftsmanship,  and  all  agree  in 
classifying  the  best  Egyptian  work  as 
perfect  in  form  and  timeless  in 
appeal."  Moreover,  Anthes  continues, 
we  judge  Egyptian  military  and 
political  history  by  the  same  measures 
we  use  for  modern  history,  never 
claiming  Egyptian  leaders  to  be  naive 
or  primitive  in  their  thinking.  In 
everything  militarily  they  come  up  to 
the  highest  standards  and  often  sur- 
pass the  best  the  later  world  can 
produce.  Yet  we  give  these  same 
people  no  credit  for  brains  whatever 
when  it  comes  to  the  subject  that 
interested  them  most,  religion!117  A 
century  ago  E.  Revillout  called  atten- 
tion to  this  strange  bias.118  What  is 
behind  it?  Anthes  and  Frankfort 
suggest  not  a  different  level  of  intelli- 
gence but  a  different  method  of  solving 
problems. 

We  get  neat  final  solutions  to  our 


problems  by  isolating  them  in  arti- 
ficially closed  systems.  Thus  we  find 
a  tidy  correlation  between  the  con- 
sumption of  cholesterol  and  heart 
disease  and  immediately  announce 
that  all  cholesterol  is  deadly.  We 
get  quick  answers  by  drastic  over- 
simplification. The  Egyptian,  on  the 
other  hand,  "did  justice  to  the  com- 
plexity of  the  problem  by  allowing  a 
variety  of  partial  solutions."110  After 
a  statement  in  a  funerary  text,  for 
example,  it  is  common  to  find  the 
phrase,  "Some  say  this  means  so-and- 
so  ..  .  ,"  followed  by  another,  "Others 
say  it  means  so-and-so  .  .  .  ,"  and  so 
on,  the  reader  being  given  his  choice 
among  a  number  of  "official"  explana- 
tions.1-0 What  we  have  here  is  "liber- 
ality in  dogmatics  rather  than  inability 
to  think  clearly."121  Why  settle  for  a 
final  answer  before  we  know  all  the 
facts?  If  two  pieces  of  the  jig-saw 
puzzle  did  not  fit  together,  the  Egyp- 
tians did  not,  as  we  so  often  do, 
pronounce  one  of  them  to  be  a  fraud 
and  throw  it  away,  but  they  allowed 
for  the  possibility  that  there  might  be 
missing  pieces  that  in  the  end  would 
link  up  the  two  apparent  contra- 
dictions. 

This  attitude  some  have  called  the 
"multiplicity  of  approaches":  "An- 
cient thought  .  .  .  admitted  side  by 
side  certain  limited  insights  which 
were  held  to  be  simultaneously 
valid."122  Hence,  "quasi-conflicting 
images  should  not  be  dismissed  in  the 
usual  derogatory  manner,"123  since 
they  are  expressions  of  "the  habit  of 
using  several  avenues  of  approach  to 
subjects  of  a  problematical  nature."121 
The  modern  single-line  approach  is 
neater  and  easier  to  understand,  but 
the    history    of   Christian    dogma   has 


62 


Improvement  Era 


shown  only  too  clearly  how  brittle  and 

bigoted  its  solutions  are.  O 

(To  he  continued) 

FOOTNOTES 

1TheoduIe  Deveria,  "Fragments  de  Mss. 
Funcraires  Egyptiens  considercs  par  les  Mor- 
mons comme  les  memoires  autographes 
d' Abraham,"  in  Memoires  et  Fragments  (Paris: 
Leroux,  1896),  published  in  Bibliotheque 
Egyptologique,  Vol.  4  (1896),  pp.  195-202; 
see  also  "Specimen  de  l'lnterpretation  des 
Ecritures  de  l'ancien  Egypte,"  ibid,  pp.   165ff. 

-Franklin  S.  Spalding,  Joseph  Smith  as 
Translator,   p.    19. 

^All  this  from  the  biography  by  his  brother, 
Gabriel  Everia,  "Notice  Biographique  de 
Theodule  Deveria  (1831-1871),"  in  Bibliothe- 
que Egyptologique,  Vol.  4  (1896),  pp. 
i-xlviii. 

477ie  Improvement  Era,  Vol.  16  (1913),  pp. 
703-4. 

"Who's  Who  in  America,  1912,  p.   1648. 
ljJ.    P.     Peters,    Early    Hebrew     Story     ( New 
York:   Putnam's,   1904),   p.   129. 

nbid.,  p.   143. 

,vHis  work  on  mummy  bandages  while  with 
the  Hearst  Egyptological  expedition  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  California  is  noted  by  G.  E.  Smith, 
in  Annales  du  Service,  Vol.  7   (1906),  p.  157. 

"Howard  Carter  and  Arthur  C.  Mace,  The 
Tomb  of  Tutankhamen  (New  York:  Cooper 
Square,    1963),   Vol.   1,   pp.    107-9. 

■"Arthur  C.  Mace,  The  Tomb  of  Scnebtisi 
(New  York:  Metropolitan  Museum,  1916),  p. 
35,  note  1 :  "The  greater  part  of  these  transla- 
tions is  due  to  the  kindness  of  Dr.  Alan  H. 
Gardiner."  Since  the  only  inscriptions  in  the 
tomb  were  very  short  and  easy  ones,  one 
wonders  why  Dr.  Gardiner  was  needed  to 
translate  "the  greater  part"  of  them,  and  how 
much  would  be  left  to  the  genius  of  Dr.  Mace. 
So  also  Carter  and  Mace,  op.  cit.,  Vol.  1,  109: 
".  .  .  Dr.  Alan  Gardiner  kindly  undertook  to 
deal  with  any  inscriptional  material  that  might 
be   found." 

"Raymond  Weill,  in  Revue  Egyptologique, 
Supplement   1950,  p.  48. 

1:;Obituary  in  Journal  of  Egyptian  Archaeol- 
ogy, Vol.  20   (1934),  p.  107. 

1:sNew  York  Times,  Dec.  29,  1912,  magazine 
section. 

^'Who's  Who  in  America,    1924-25,  p.   331. 

*'Era,  Vol.    16    (1913),   p.   613. 

™Era,  Vol.   71    (May   1968),  p.  57. 

17George  A.  Barton,  quoted  in  Era,  Vol.  16 
(1913),  p.   774. 

lsQuote  is  from  a  Christian  Herald  article 
given  at  length  in  Literary  Digest,  July  10, 
1915,  15.  67,  where  also  Banks  is  quoted: 
"Lately  I  have  been  delivering  a  series  of  lec- 
tures under  the  auspices  of  one  of  the  depart- 
ments of  the  University  of  Utah. 

l'-'Ibid.,  p.  66:  "The  knowledge  of  such  facts 
is  working  like  a  leaven.  .  .  .  The  Board  of 
Regents  of  the  University  of  Utah,  avers  Pro- 
fessor Banks,  is  'predominantly  Mormon'  and 
'making  desperate  efforts  to  check  the  growth 
of   progress,"    etc. 

-"Who's  Who  in  America,   1924-5,  pp.  303-4. 

21Banks,  op.  cit. 

--Quoted   in   Era,   Vol.    16    (1913),   p.    774. 

-'''".  .  .  the  inscriptions  are  not  upon  papyrus, 
but  upon  small  clay  objects.  .  ,  ."  Banks,  loc. 
cit. 

-4See  his  sanguine  remarks  quoted  in  Era, 
Vol.  16,  p.  774  75.  "At  the  close  of  one  of 
the  lectures  a  bright  young  Mormon  student 
accompanied  me  to  the  club  where  I  was 
stopping.  He  asked  about  Joseph  Smith's 
translation  of  the  Egyptian  inscriptions,  for  he 
remembered  the  discussion  of  two  years  ago. 
He  is  now  a  Mormon  only  in  name.  A  Mor- 
mon gentleman  .  .  .  showed  me  about  the 
Temple  grounds.  He  was  ashamed  of  his 
religion  .  .  .  and  he  represents  the  younger 
generation   of  Mormons,"  Banks,  op.  cit. 

-'^Reported  in  Era,  Vol.  16,  pp.  341ff,  and 
Deseret   News,   Dec.    19,    1912,  p.  4. 

-CR.  Campbell  Thompson,  in  Journal  of 
Egyptian  Archaeology,  Vol.  21  (1935),  p. 
69. 

=  'E.  Andersson,  in  Sphinx,  Vol.  12  (1909), 
p.   237. 

"Thompson,  loc.  cit.;  J.  Capart,  in  Bidletin 
critique  des  Religions  de  I'Egypte  (Brussels, 
1905-1913),   p.    25. 

L>!1Capart,   op.   cit.,  pp.   26-28. 

30Ibid.,  p.  25. 

™Ibid.,  pp.  68f,  noting  that  Budge  "early 
relinquished"  the  writing  of  articles  and  turned 
out  instead  about  120  Oriental  books.  His 
work   "undeniably  does  show  this  haste." 

^Karl  R.   Popper,   Federation  Reports   of   the 


August    1968 


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63 


American  Society  for  Experimental  Biology, 
Vol.  22    (1963),  p.   970. 

33In  translating  the  Book  of  Abraham 
Joseph  Smith  apparently  made  no  use  of 
any  of  the  fragments  of  the  Book  of  the 
Dead  now  in  possession  of  the  Church;  the 
so-called  Egyptian  Alphabet  and  Grammar 
has  never  enjoyed  any  official  status;  the 
connection  between  the  Book  of  Abraham 
and  the  "Sen-sen"  papyrus  remains  a  mystery: 
see  our  preliminary  remarks  in  BYU  Studies, 
Vol.  8  (Spring  '1968),  pp.  245-54,  and 
Dialogue,  Vol.  3,  No.  2  (Summer  1968),  pp. 
99-105. 

MS.  A.  B.  Mercer,  in  Utah  Survey,  Vol.  I, 
p.  25,  and  Era,  Vol.  16,  p.  612.  Cf.  Mercer  in 
Spalding,  Joseph  Smith  as   Translator,  p.   29. 

:trEdouard  Naville,  Das  Aegxjptische  Todten- 
buch  der  XVIII.  bis  XX  Dynastie.  Einleitung 
(Berlin,  1886),  p.  2;  Gaston  Maspero,  in 
Bibliotheque  Egyptologique,  Vol.  1  (1893),  p. 
22. 

30Budolph  Anthes,  in  Artibus  Asiac,  Vol.  20 
(1957),   p.  92. 

37John  A.  Wilson,  in  Dialogue,  Vol.  3,  No.  2 
(Summer   1968),   p.   71. 

^Widtsoe,  Era,  Vol.    16,   p.   618. 

■nbid.,   p.  457. 

'"'Georg  Steindorff,  Baedeker's  Guide  to 
Egypt  and  the  Sudan  (Leipzig,  1908),  pp. 
cxii-cxxvi. 

•"Jaroslav  Cerny,  Ancient  Egyptian  Religion 
(London:  Hutchinson's  University  Library, 
1952),   p.    54. 

42Gustave  Jequier,  Considerations  sttr  les  Re- 
ligions Egyptiennes  (Neuchatel:  1946),  pp. 
7-8. 

43Wilson,   op.   cit.,    pp.    67-85. 

"Naville,  op.  cit.,   p.   2. 

4nWilson,  op.  cit.,  pp.  79-80. 

40Thomas  George  Allen,  The  Egyptian  Book 
of  the  Dead  (University  of  Chicago  Press, 
1960),  p.  3. 

47Naville,  op.  cit.,  p.  41;  cf.  E.  A.  W.  Budge, 
Egyptian  Religion,  p.  45. 

^Allen,   loc.  cit. 

1BW.  Czermak,  in  Ztschr.  f.  Aeg.  Sprachc, 
Vol.  76  (1940),  p.   10. 

^Naville,  op.  cit.,  p.  11.  The  various  texts 
and  interpretations  were  introduced  with  no 
idea  of  trying  to  "add  to  a  composite  design," 
R.  Anthes,  op.  cit.,  p.  93. 

raNaville,   op.   cit.,   pp.    38-39. 

r,2Theodore  M.  Davis,  The  Funeral  Papyrus 
of  Iouiya   (London:    Constable,   1908),   p.    1. 

caHans  Schack-Schackenburg,  Das  Buch  von 
den  Zwei  Wegen  des  seligen  Toten  (Leipzig: 
Hinrichs,  1903),  p.  9.  Thus  the  magnificent 
Turin  Papyrus  "swarms  with  every  kind  of  mis- 
take," Naville,   op.  cit.,  p.  3. 


w Schack-Schackenburg,  op.  cit.,  p.    10. 

■"'Etienne  Drioton,  in  Archiv  fuer  Orient- 
forschung,  12  (1959),  p.  261.  ".  .  .  an 
arrangement  of  the  manuscripts  in  classes  and 
lines  of  descent  is  not  possible,  so  that  we 
must  fall  back  on  an  eclectic  method,"  Her- 
mann Grapow,  Das  17.  Kapitel  des  aegyptis- 
chen  Totenbuches  ( Inaugural-Dissertation, 
Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universitaet,  Berlin,  1912), 
p.   51. 

•""Naville,  op.  cit.,  pp.  38-39. 

■■•Ibid.,  p.  40. 

^Thomas  George  Allen,  in  Journal  of  Near 
Eastern  Studies,  Vol.  II  (1965),  p.  177. 

■"'"Hermann  Kees,  Der  Goetterglaube  im  alten 
Aegypten    (Leipzig:    Hinrichs,    1941),    p.    254. 

ll0Davis,  op.   cit.,  p.   2. 

'^Naville,  in  Bibliotheque  Egyptologique,  Vol. 
1    (1893),  p.  25. 

*'~  Allpn     loc     cit 

03I.  E.'S.  Edwards,  The  Pyramids  of  Egypt 
(Penguin  Books,    1952),   p.    114. 

MS.  Bjerke,  in  Numen,  Vol.  12  (1965),  pp. 
202-3. 

""Richard  Lepsius,  Aelteste  Texte  des  Toten- 
buches (Berlin,  1867),  p.  6;  Edouard  Naville, 
Das  Aegptische  Todtenbuch,  p.    19. 

°°Alan  Shorter,  The  Egyptian  Gods  (London: 
K.    Paul,    1937),    pp.    64-65. 

flTNaville,  op.  cit.,  p.  22. 

asLoc.  cit.,  and  Alfred  Wiedemann,  The  An- 
cient Egyptian  Doctrine  of  Immortality  of  the 
Soul  (New  York:  Putnam's,  1895),  pp.  55- 
57;  Naville,  op.  cit.,  p.  22. 

<*>Ibid.,   p.   26. 

^Ibid.,  p.   22. 

70Wiedemann,   op.   cit.,  p.  66. 

"'Naville,  op.  cit.,  p.  21;  cf.  Wiedemann, 
pp.  49f:  "The  Egyptians  never  attained  to 
any  clear  idea  of  the  Osirian  underworld;  the 
same  confusion  and  obscurity  reigned  over  it 
as  over  the  whole  conception  of  the  unseen 
world  and  of  deity.  .  .  .  each  was  at  liberty 
to  form  for  himself  a  more  or  less  modified 
conception  of  the  characters  of  the  under- 
world." 

72Rudolph  Anthes,  in  Artibus  Asiae,  Vol.  20, 
p.   95. 

73E.  Suys,  in  Orientalia,  Vol.  1  (1932),  p. 
65,  noting  that  the  average  Egyptian  seems 
to  have  been  rather  skeptical  about  the  whole 
business. 

74Alan  Gardiner,  Egypt  of  the  Pharaohs, 
p.   24. 

75Pierre  Lacau,  in  Receuil  des  Travaux,  Vol. 
26    (1904),  p.   59. 

70H.  Kees,  Aegyptischen  Totenglaube,  p.  255, 
noting  that  the  content  of  the  Coffin  Texts  in 
general  suggests  "freely  selected  pieces  from  a 
corpus  of  Pyramid  Texts." 


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77Lacau,  op.  cit.,  p.  61. 

78Capart,  Bulletin  Critique  des  Religions  dr 
VEgypt   (1904)  p.  31,  quoting  Lacau. 

Ttljames  Breasted,  Religion  and  Thought  in 
Ancient   Egypt    (London,    1912),    p.    278. 

w)Kees,  op.  cit.,  p.  15.  According  to  Kees, 
not  only  the  Book  of  the  Dead  but  the  Coffin 
Texts  and  Pyramid  Texts  as  well  are  all 
"entirely  disorganized  collections  of  unrelated 
sayings,"   p.    14: 

mR.  Anthes,  in  Ztschr.  fuer  Aegyptische 
Sprache,  Vol.  82    (1958),  pp.  7-8. 

82Louis  Speleers,  Textes  des  Cercueils  (Brus- 
sels,  1946),  xxxii. 

S3J.  Cerny,  Ancient  Egyptian  Religion,  p.  35. 

^For  a  recent  estimate  of  the  limitations  of 
Greek  knowledge  on  the  subject,  see  Gardiner. 
Egypt  of  the  Pharaohs,  pp.    1-10. 

^Hans  Schack-Schackenburg,  Zweiwege- 
buch,  p.  15,  noting  also  (p.  11)  that  the  real 
meaning  of  the  "Two  Ways"  was  entirely  lost 
by   the    Middle   Kingdom. 

80T.  M.  Sjodahl,  in  Era,  Vol.   16,  p.  331. 

CTW.  Czermak,  in  Ztschr.  f.  Aeg.  Sprache, 
Vol.    76    (1940),  p.   9. 

^Czermak,  in  Archiv  fuer  Aegyptische 
Archaeologie,  Vol.   1    (1938),  p.  205. 

S9Gardiner,  speaking  of  certain  hymns,  in 
Revue   Egyptologique,   Vol.    11    (1957),   p.   55. 

»Weffi,  in  Egyptian  Religion,  Vol.  3  (1935). 
p.    121. 

91Wilhelm  Kaiser,  in  Orientalische  Litera- 
turzeitung,  Vol.  58  (1963),  p.  341,  citing 
Hermann   Junker. 

92Weill,  op.  cit.,  p.  119. 

'-"Wiedemann,  op.   cit.,   p.   1. 

"H.  R.  Hall,  in  Journal  of  Egyptian  Archae- 
ology, Vol.  1    (1914),  p.  77. 

il5Louis  Speleers,  Textes  des  Cercueils,  pp. 
Ixii,    Ixx. 

MIbid.,  pp.  Ixx,  xxxi,  xix,  xviii. 

,J1Ibid.,  p.  xxxii. 

^Ibid.,  p.  Ixviii;  also,  "no  concern  for 
ontology   or  causality,"  p.  Ixix. 

'■''■'Ibid.,   p.    xviii. 

^°°Ibid.,   p.    lviii. 

lmIbid.,   p.   Ixx. 

J02Ibid.,  pp.  lxii-lxiii,  lxix. 

w*Ibid.,  p.  lxxiii. 

w'Ibid.,  pp.  lxiv,  xxxi:  In  short,  "their 
cosmology  is  simplistic;  they  do  not  state 
clearly  what  they  mean  by  life  and  nature," 
but  simply  accept  such  things  as  given  quanti- 
ties. 

'"'•Ibid.,   p.   xvii. 

w6Loc.  cit.  They  accept  "the  most  im- 
probable miracles"  (p.  lxix),  and  "persistently 
confound  the  body  and  soui"  (p.  Ixx).  These 
are  stock  charges  of  the  ancient  pagan 
philsophers    against    the    early   Christians. 

101Ibid.,   p.   xxx. 

™*Ibid.,    p.    ix. 

109S.  G.  Maspero,  in  Bibliotheque  Egyp- 
tologique,  Vol.    1    (1893),   p.    124. 

110W.  Kaiser,  in  Oriental.  Literaturzeitung, 
Vol.  58  (1963),  p.  342,  discussing  the  theories 
of  Herman  Junker,  Die  Geisteshaltung  der 
Aegypter  in  der  Friihzeit  (Vienna:  Boehlau, 
1961). 

1UH.  Frankfort,  Ancient  Egyptian  Religion. 
pp.    91,    125. 

112  A.    Shorter,    The  Egyptian  Gods,   p.   86. 

113F.  Daumas,  in  Revue  dc  I'Histoire  des 
Religions,    Vol.    160    (1961),   pp.    147-48. 

™Era,  Vol.   71    (June   1968),  pp.   20-21. 

115Danmas,   op.   cit.,  pp.)    139-40. 

118Adrian  de  Buck,  in  Chroniques  d'Egypte. 
Vol    23    (1947),  pp.   26,  28,   34. 

11TRudolf  Anthes,  in  Mitteilungen  der 
deutschen  Orient-Gesellschaft  zu  Berlin,  No.  96 
(Sept.  1965),  pp.  5-6;  cf.  Journal  of  the 
American  Oriental  Society,  Vol.  74  (1954), 
p.  36. 

118E.  Revillout,  in  Ancient  Egypt,  Vol.  1,  p. 
103,  noting  also  ibid.,  pp.  31-65,  that  Egyptian 
piety  in  no  way  differs  from  orthodox  Christian 
piety   in   nature. 

""Frankfort,   op.   cit.,  p.  91. 

120According  to  Anthes,  in  Artibus  Asiae, 
Vol.  20,  p.  95,  this  formula  is  "no  allusion  to 
any  authoritative  transmission  of  theological 
interpretation,"  but  rather  acknowledges  the 
validity  of  individual  judgment. 

131Anthes,  in  Journal  of  the  American 
Oriental  Society,  Vol.  74,  p.  39.  ".  .  .  it  was 
dogma,  and  not  the  transmission  of  earlie: 
myths.    .    .   ." 

122Frankfort,  op.   cit.,  p.   4. 

12-Ibid.,   p.    19. 

12iIbid.,  pp.  9 If.  The  idea  is  discussed  by 
R.  Anthes,  in  Zf.  /.  Aeg.  Sprache,  Vol.  80 
(1955),  p.  85;  and  Vol.  78  (1954),  p.  53; 
H.  Kees,  in  Totenglauben  .  .  .  der  alien 
Aegypter,  reviewed  by  H.  Wall-Gordon,  in 
Revue  Egyptologique,  Vol.  13   (1961),  p.  145. 


Improvement  Era 


Teaching 

Conducted  by  the 
Church  School  System 


Than  It  Has  Ever  Been 


By  Jim  Johnston 
Instructor,  Calgary  Institute  of  Religion 


•  As  a  small  girl  walked  past  the 
cathedral  that  she  always  passed  on 
her  way  to  and  from  school  each  day, 
the  clock  in  the  steeple  chimed  the 
hour;  but,  apparently  broken,  it  didn't 
stop  after  striking  12 — it  kept  on:  13, 
14,  15,  16,  and  on  it  went.  The  little 
girl,  becoming  somewhat  alarmed,  ran 
home  quickly.  As  she  entered  her 
home,  she  shouted  to  her  mother, 
"Mommy,  it's  later  than  it's  ever  been 
before!" 

My  shout,  echoing  the  cry  of  this 
little  girl  and  that  of  our  Church  lead- 
ers, is  that  the  hour  is  later  than  it 
has  ever  been  before.  Again  with 
emphasis:  There  never  has  been  a 
time  when  more  has  been  demanded, 
when  more  has  been  required,  and 
when  more  pressure  has  been  exerted 
than  that  which  is  facing  young  people 
today.  Never  before  has  their  time 
been   at  so  great  a   premium.      Never 


before  has  Satan  had  at  his  disposal 
such  devices  for  exploiting  youth — 
mass  media,  drugs,  clothing  styles, 
transportation — all  used  to  lead  young 
people  away  from  the  paths  of 
righteousness  and  the  gospel-centered 
life.  These  are  not  just  any  young 
people — these   are   our  young    people. 

Never  before  has  there  been  a  time 
when  the  Lord  has  needed  his  helpers 
— all  teachers  in  the  Church — to  be 
better  prepared  to  fortify,  strengthen, 
and  encourage  the  youth  against 
temptation  and  evil.  The  time  given 
us  to  teach  the  youth  right  principles 
and  right  situational  responses  is  just 
the  same  as  always — too  short.  The 
time  element  increases  the  challenge 
that  we,  as  teachers,  have  when  we 
contemplate  brightening  the  horizons 
of  those  who  come  or  are  brought  by 
force  or  habit  to  learn  from  us. 

With  this   awareness  that  the   time 


we  share  with  students  is  preciously 
short,  what  are  we  doing  to  make 
our  classes  purposeful?  Does  each 
lesson  strike  a  meaningful  note  for 
each  class  member  that  helps  him  to 
sing  better  the  song  of  this  life?  Do 
we  direct  the  lesson  to  every  member 
of  the  class,  or  do  we  make  the  lesson 
appeal  only  to  the  eager  learners?  It 
is  easy  to  teach  the  front-row  few  in 
class,  but  what  about  those  who  are 
far  away  from  the  Church — that 
troublemaker  who  has  driven  every 
other  teacher  nearly  to  tears?  I  think 
it  was  Billy  Sunday  who  said:  "It  is 
better  to  be  100  feet  from  hell  headed 
away  from  it  than  1,000  miles  away 
headed  toward  it."  No  matter  what 
our  students  have  done  in  their  past, 
or  how  meager  their  understanding  of 
the  gospel,  we  can  help  them  direct 
their  actions  in  the  right  path.  The 
key  to  effectiveness   in  the  classroom 


August  1968 


65 


stems  from  our  genuineness  in  as  well 
as  out  of  class.  Our  personal  involve- 
ment and  our  concern  for  students 
are  shown  in  such  things  as  inviting 
students  into  our  home,  putting  our 
arm  around  the  discouraged  boy,  at- 
tending sports  events  and  cheering 
for  their  team. 

Elder  Marion  D.  Hanks,  in  a  gen- 
eral conference  address  in  October 
1967,  provided  this  admonition  about 
youth:  "How  can  we  help  them?  We 
can  be  more  consistent  in  our  lives. 
We  can  provide  a  better  example.  We 
can  repent.  We  can  obey  the  com- 
mandments of  God.  We  can  teach 
them."  (The  Improvement  Era,  Decem- 
ber 1967,  p.  67.)  Yes,  we  can  teach 
them,  but  not  all  our  teaching  can  be 
done  the  same  way.  One  of  the  most 
effective  ways  to  teach  comes  through 
personal   involvement. 

Do  we  really  know  what  a  few  well- 
chosen  words  can  do  to  change  the 
attitudes  and  eventual  actions  of  those 
within  our  influence?  Here  is  a  speci- 
fic case  in  which  personal  concern  by 
a  teacher  really  paid  off: 

In  my  boyhood  in  southern  Idaho, 
a  gimmick  was  used  in  Primary  to 
encourage  everyone  to  participate  more 
fully  in  singing.  When  this  method 
was  employed,  we  were  dismissed  to 
go  to  our  classes  according  to  the  row 
or  class  that  the  chorister  thought  had 
done  the  best  job  of  singing  that  day. 
As  an  uncooperative  Primary  boy,  I  did 
not  want  to  sing,  nor  did  I  like  to  sing. 
However,  I  did  like  to  be  in  the  first 
row  to  be  dismissed. 

After  several  weeks  of  not  putting 
my  all  into  participating,  it  occurred 
to  me  that  by  enthusiastically  moving 
my  lips,  the  chorister  would  think  I 
was  singing.  I  tried  it  and  persuaded 
others  sitting  near  me  to  do  the  same. 
Not  realizing  that  people  read  lips,  it 
was  much  to  my  chagrin  that  my 
row  was  the  last  one  dismissed  to  go 
to  class  that  day,  and  I  felt  we  had 
been  unfairly  ranked. 

After  Primary  that  afternoon,  as  I 
came  charging  out  of  the  door  on  my 
way   home,   the   good   sister  who   was 


Teachers  may  make  two  kinds 

of  mistakes:  forge  through  the  lesson 

no  matter  what, 
or  succumb  to  distraction  from  the  lesson. 


chorister  stopped  me  and,  putting  her 
arm  around  me,  spoke  kindly,  "Jimmy, 
our  Father  in  heaven  loves  you,  and 
when  we  sing  in  Primary  we  are  tell- 
ing him  how  much  we  love  him.  Don't 
you  love  Heavenly  Father?"  That  is  all 
she  said,  but  I  still  remember  how  I 
wanted  Heavenly  Father  to  know  that 
I  loved  him,  so  I  started  singing  after 
that.  Now  I  love  to  sing,  and  I  give 
much  of  the  credit  to  a  teacher  who 
cared  enough  to  put  her  arm  around 
a  little  boy  who  didn't  want  to  sing 
in  Primary — just  a  little  event  in  a 
child's  life,  but  it  is  indicative  of  the 
influence  a  good  teacher  can  have  on 
those  in  her  charge. 

Now,  how  many  young  people  do 
we  bring  closer  to  the  fold  by  our 
concern  for  them  individually?  Few,  I 
am  sure,  unless  we  get  deeper  than 
mere  concern.  We  must  be  able  to 
view  situations  from  the  eyes  of  our 
students.  Do  we  listen  to  the  records 
that  the  class  members  find  so  enter- 
taining? Do  we  go  to  any  of  the 
dances,  ball  games,  plays,  debates, 
festivals,  or  other  activities  that  they 
are  concerned  with?  Do  we  cheer  their 
wins  and  regret  their  defeats? 

What  about  the  student  who  ruins 
the  class  for  the  teacher  and  everyone 
else?  Realistically,  though,  who  is 
really  at  fault  when  a  child  is  disrupt- 
ing a  class?  The  easiest  response  is 
to  blame  the  apparently  unmanageable 
youth.  But,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  we 
must  empathize  with  the  child  and 
determine  if  the  lesson  is  really 
worthy  of  his  attention.  By  "worthy," 
the  consideration  is  not  subject  matter 
but  rather  whether  we  are  approach- 
ing the  lesson  in  such  a  way  that  we 
are  meeting  the  needs  of  the  students, 
including  our  troublemaker. 


When  a  student  with  angry  words 
causes  embarrassment  and  tension  in 
the  class,  this  is  his  SOS  for  help. 
This  is  where  we  and,  if  possible,  other 
members  of  the  class  need  to  be  his 
friends.  Determining  what  is  best 
for  him  may  require  a  special  prayer- 
ful summit  meeting  between  us  and 
our  class  officers,  superintendent, 
bishopric,  or  selected  individuals  who 
we  know  will   be  willing  to  be  helpful. 

It  is  often  the  best  thing  for  the 
class  if  someone  dares  to  raise  his 
voice  in  a  question  that  we  might  con- 
sider trivial  or  out  of  line.  This  may 
be  the  same  question  others  in  the 
class  have  in  their  hearts  but  are  re- 
strained from  asking  because  of  anxiety 
feelings,  and  could  serve  as  material 
for  a  lively  discussion  that  may  really 
be  helpful  to  students.  Are  we  one  of 
the  guilty  teachers  who  make  sure 
that  every  word  in  the  manual  is  quoted 
verbatim  to  the  class,  regardless  of 
what  the  class  may  already  know  about 
the  subject?  Was  the  subject  made  for 
man? 

Teachers  may  make  two  kinds  of 
mistakes.  The  first  is  to  forge  through 
the  lesson  material  no  matter  what, 
even  at  the  sacrifice  of  time  to  answer 
questions.  The  other  is  to  be  so  easily 
distracted  that  if  someone  gets  them 
started  on  their  favorite  subject  they 
never  come  close  to  the  lesson 
material  at  all.  Church  teachers  need 
to  be  more  student-oriented  while  at 
the  same  time  taking  full  advantage 
of  the  subject  matter  that  is  to  be 
presented.  The  worth  of  souls  is 
great,  and  a  teacher  will  surely  be 
accountable  if  he  doesn't  put  forth 
the  requisite  effort  to  satisfy  and  meet 
the  purpose  of  his  vital  stewardship. 
He    is   the    one   charged    by   a    calling 


66 


Improvement  Era 


from  a  representative  of  the  Lord  to 
do  that  which  no  one  else  can  do.  He 
is  bound  to  have  difficult  days  now 
and  again,  but  they  will  be  far  fewer 
if  he  uses  the  time  to  meet  student 
needs  with  the  lesson  material  and 
not  just  pour  out  the  gospel  to  vessels 
that  are  unprepared. 

As  teachers,  we  should  increase  our 
love  for  the  scriptures.  The  scriptures 
tell  us  of  our  duty  to  our  class  mem- 
bers: "And  as  all  have  not  faith,  seek 
ye  diligently  and  teach  one  another 
words  of  wisdom.  .  .  ."  "Let  him  that 
is  ignorant  learn  wisdom  by  humbling 
himself  and  calling  upon  the  Lord  his 
God.  .   .  ."  (D&C  109:7;   136:32.) 

The  most  effective  lessons  are  those 
that  are  intended  to  leave  students 
with  one  or  two  points  well  understood 
and  not  ten  topics  to  which  they  have 
been  introduced  but  with  which  they 
are  not  sufficiently  acquainted  to  in- 
corporate them  in  life.  A  teacher's 
responsibility  is  to  give  the  best  pos- 
sible lesson  geared  to  his  students' 
needs  in  the  time  that  is  available. 
How  do  we  find  out  what  the  student 
needs  are?  This  comes  most  naturally 
from  personal  involvement  and  kin- 
ship to  each  class  member  so  that 
we  will  know  him  or  her.  It  may  be 
advantageous  to  use  a  card  with  in- 
formation about  every  student  so  that 
we  know  who  his  parents  are,  how 
many  brothers  and  sisters  he  has, 
what  he  likes  to  do — hobbies,  goals, 
scholastic  attainments. 

Sure,  it  will  require  a  few  more 
hours  from  us,  but  it  is  worth  it  when 
we  can  feel  good  about  teaching  people 
we  know  rather  than  just  teaching  a 
class  of  children  in  the  ward.  When 
Billy  comes  in  and  creates  such  a  fuss 
that  the  attention  of  the  whole  class 
is  centered  on  him,  we  know  that  he 
is  starved  for  attention  and  love  as 
we  draw  him  into  the  lesson.  Know- 
ing this,  we  will  react  differently. 
Possibly  we  will  place  him  in  a  focal 
point  of  attention  by  saying,  "What 
do  you  think  it  was  like,  Billy,  to  push 
a  handcart  all  the  way  across  the 
plains?"    No  matter  what  the  student's 


August  1968 


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response  is,  we  can,  by  effective  ques- 
tioning and  looking  right  at  him,  draw 
from  him  comments  that  build  the 
lesson  rather  than  destroy  the  lesson 
atmosphere. 

When  we  fulfill  this  responsibility  of 
meeting  students'  needs,  helping  them 
to  feel  it  is  their  class,  then  we  are 
"catering"  the  gospel  to  them — that 
is,  making  the  gospel  tasty,  palatable, 
meaningful,  and  desirable.  If  what  we 
are  doing  is  not  for  our  students,  then 
we  should  certainly  make  a  serious 
evaluation  of  why  we  are  going 
through  the  ritual  of  dispensing  our 
own  pearls  of  gospel  wisdom.  If,  in 
our  evaluation  of  what  we  are  doing, 
we  find  that  we  are  lacking,  we  must 
not  follow  the  paths  of  least  resistance 
and  quit;  rather,  we  should  improve 
what  we  are  doing  so  that  our  experi- 
ence, as  well  as  that  of  our  students, 
will    be    worthwhile    and    meaningful. 

With  class  time  so  short,  a  wise 
teacher  is  sensitive  to  the  needs  of 
his  students  and  knows  which  needs 
only  he  as  the  teacher  can  meet  dur- 
ing each  class  period.  Knowing  each 
student  helps  make  it  easier  to  heed 
the  Spirit.  A  teacher  shouldn't  be  like 
Nephi's  brethren,  who  were  so  insensi- 
tive that  when  spoken  to  by  the  still, 
small  voice  they  were  "past  feeling." 
(See  1  Ne.  17:45.)  A  good  clue  is  the 
student  who  lags  behind  the  others 
when  class  is  dismissed.  Often  this 
student  needs  some  personal  counsel, 
and  the  teacher  should  give  it  to  him. 
By  going  beyond  a  simple  concern 
for  the  outlined  lesson  and  the  class 
in  general,  he  may  find  an  under- 
standing of  students'  needs  beginning 
to  develop;  he  is  learning  to  "apply 
the  gospel."  What  a  joy  it  is  to  hear  a 
student  say,  "You  must  have  been 
inspired!  That  lesson  was  just  what 
I  needed  today — it  was  an  answer  to 
my  prayer."  This  openness  and  con- 
cern will  also  open  to  the  teacher  the 
Spirit  that  can  give  light  and  the  direc- 
tion. But  remember,  the  teacher  must 
do  the  preliminary  research.  (A  great 
deal  of  effective  teaching  comes  from 
what  others  see  us  do  more  than  from 


Improvement  Era 


what  they  may  hear  us  say.) 

As  teachers,  we  are  responsible  for 
those  charged  to  our  tutelage.  Can 
we  ever  dare  to  say  to  ourself,  "Oh,  it 
is  just  another  Sunday  School  class; 
they  can't  expect  me  to  be  interesting 
all  the  time,"  or  "It  is  all  right  for  me 
just  to  read  through  the  lesson  for  the 
first  time  ten  minutes  before  class 
starts.  After  all,  they  are  just 
children."  That  is  the  point:  they  are 
children — children    of    our    Father    in 


heaven,  a  loving  Father  who  has  sent 
them  to  this  probationary  state  to 
learn  and  to  progress.  To  learn  what? 
To  learn  specifically  what  we  as  teach- 
ers are  charged  by  a  calling  to  teach. 
And  what  is  that?  To  teach  the 
children  "all  that  they  must  do  to 
live  with  him  once  more."  Oh,  the 
time  is  short.  It  is  later  than  it's  ever 
been   before. 

As  teachers,  we   must  do  our  best, 
and     make     class     time     meaningful. 


"Train  up  a  child  in  the  way  he  should 
go:  and  when  he  is  old,  he  will  not 
depart  from  it."  (Prov.  22:6.)  This  is 
part  of  our  responsibility  as  teachers. 
Parents  allow  their  progeny  to  be 
guided  by  us  for  a  few  hours  of  their 
lives,  and  the  time  is  almost  too  short 
to  accomplish  our  task.  It  is  later 
than  it  has  ever  been  before,  but  it  is 
not  too  late  to  teach  with  a  purpose 
and  accomplish  that  which  we  have 
been  called  to  do.  O 


With  Monday  Zeal 

fit . 

By  Othelia  Lilly 

She  rinsed  each  thought  before 

she  hung  it  out 

to  air  before  her  neighbors, 

friends,  or  kin. 

Clean  ivas  the  wash  of  mind 

they  viewed  or  felt. 

She  looked  to  the  laundry  of 

her  oivn  within. 


Richard   L.   Evans 

The  Spoken  Word 


"Above  the  catastrophies 


It  is  not  often,"  said  Charles  Henry  Parkhurst,  "that  a  joy  reaches  so 
deep  a  place  in  men's  hearts  as  a  sorrow  does;  defeat  touches  men 
in  a  way  that  victory  does  not.  .  .  .  Everything  is  stamped  with  its 
cost-mark."1  But  among  the  most  tragic  of  tragedies  are  those  from 
which  there  are  no  lessons  learned.  And  so,  besides  all  else,  there  should 
be  some  earnest  searching,  and  from  that  searching  perhaps  repentance- 
repentance  if  and  where  there  has  been  too  much  of  irresponsible  per- 
missiveness, too  much  loosening  of  law,  too  much  of  blaming  things  on 
others;  too  much  forgetting  of  God,  of  leaving  him  out  of  our  lives; 
too  much  forgetting  of  his  commandments;  too  little  of  living  them.  God 
grant  that  in  our  searching  we  may  never  forget  our  dependence  on 
Divine  Providence.  "Righteousness  exalteth  a  nation  .  .  ."2  —and  we 
shall  not  be  exalted,  indeed  shall  be  laid  low,  without  righteousness  and 
justice,  and  without  keeping  his  commandments.  "And  seeing  the  multi- 
tudes, he  went  up  into  a  mountain:  .  .  .  and  taught  them,  saying,  Blessed 
are  the  poor  in  spirit;  for  theirs  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  Blessed  are 
they  that  mourn:  for  they  shall  be  comforted.  Blessed  are  the  meek: 
for  they  shall  inherit  the  earth.  Blessed  are  they  which  do  hunger  and 
thirst  after  righteousness:  for  they  shall  be  filled.  Blessed  are  the  merci- 
ful: for  they  shall  obtain  mercy.  Blessed  are  the  pure  in  heart:  for  they 
shall  see  God.  Blessed  are  the  peacemakers:  for  they  shall  be  called 
the  children  of  God.";i  God  be  thanked  that  "above  the  catastrophes 
of  life  .  .  .  abide  .  .  .  the  quietness  and  strength  of  his  unfaltering  pur- 
pose and  wisdom  and  .  .  .  grace,"1  this  day— and  always. 

>CharIes  Henry  Parkhurst,   Sermon   on    [President  James  A.]    Garfield,   Sept.   25,    1881. 
-'Prov.   14:34. 
r'Matt.   5:1-9. 

#■  "The  Spoken  Word"  from  Temple  Square,  presented  over  KSL  and  the  Columbia 
Broadcasting  System  June  9,  1968.    Copyright  1968. 


August   1968 


69 


Swings 

& 
Things 


Today's 
Family 

By  Florence 
B.  Pinnock 


•  To  swing  or  not  to  swing  is  the 
question  on  this  hot  August  day. 
If  you  decide  to  lie  in  a  hammock 
and  let  your  problems  fade,  in  all 
fairness  a  gentle  breeze  should 
sway  you  to  and  fro.  Some  prob- 
lems need  action  in  order  to  be 
solved,  others  require  time,  and 
still  others  are  solved  by  merely 
swinging  on  a  summer  day.  A 
person  needs  to  be  alone  at  times, 
especially  in  hot  weather.  Crowds 
and  humidity  and  high  tempera- 
tures seem  to  multiply  problems. 
One  woman  may  find  peace  in  a 
garden  swing,  another  in  swinging 
a  golf  club.  Either  motion  soothes. 
One  can  discover  solace  from  a 
gently  stirred  cradle,  in  the  swing- 
ing motion  of  a  plane,  a  boat,  a 
car,  or  a  patio  hammock. 

Too  many  people  feel  guilty  in 
repose.  Constant  motion  seems  to 
be  their  aim.  To  be  able  to  sit 
down  with  hands  relaxed  is  a  talent 
to  be  developed,  especially  by  an 
overworked  mother  of  small  chil- 
dren. Learn  to  unwind  and  savor 
the  moment.  To  really  live  is  to 
feel,  and  this  can  come  in  moments 
of  repose. 

The  popular  word  "jogging" 
doesn't  seem  to  fit  in  the  heat  of 
an  August  day.  If  one  jogs,  let  him 
do  it  very  early  or  very  late  in  the 
day.      If    mountains     are     to    be 


70 


Improvement  Era 


drained 
1   tablespoon 


vinegar 


climbed,  let  a  full  moon  light  the 
way.  If  floors  are  to  be  scrubbed, 
windows  washed,  gardens  weeded, 
or  errands  run,  let  dawn  and  dusk 
be  the  time.  Summer  should  be  a 
season  of  leisure,  not  one  of  hurry 
and  scurry. 

Even  food  preparation  need  not 
send  a  mother  to  the  kitchen  for 
hours  on  end.  Planning  done  in 
the  hammock  one  day  can  ready 
the  week's  menus.  Shopping  one 
evening  for  21  meals  gives  a  feel- 
ing of  security  to  the  homemaker. 
Leftovers  from  one  meal,  plus  a 
little  ingenuity,  can  lighten  the 
load  for  the  next  meal.  Early 
morning  food  preparation  leaves 
the  day  free  for  swinging  in  the 
shade,  with  just  a  few  minutes  re- 
quired before  dinner  to  get  the 
food  on  the  table. 

Perhaps  August  was  made  for 
one  to  discover  himself.  It  is  a 
time  in  between— 31  days  to  dream 
dreams,  to  savor  each  relationship, 
to  look  into  your  children's  eyes 
and  glance  behind  their  words,  and 
to  find  joy  in  being  alive.  All  this 
savoring  of  summer  will  add  a 
twinkle  to  your  own  eyes  and 
erase  the  bags  under  them.  It  will 
add  a  lilt  to  your  step  that  will 
carry  you  into  autumn  with  a  glow 
that  will  attract  and  an  energy  that 
will  accomplish. 


Cook  Cool  on  Hot  Days 

Food  can  be  prepared— and  it 
can  be  very  palatable— without  the 
aid  of  a  hot  stove.  As  you  swing 
and  sway  in  a  hammock  and 
stretch  and  relax  on  a  patio,  think, 
cook,  and  plan  your  menus  with- 
out stress.  Just  mix-and-chill  is  a 
hot  day's  way  of  preparing  a  meal. 
Try  some  of  these  cool  treats  for 
hot  days  and  hot  nights. 

Creamy  Coleslaw 

(iy2   quarts) 

1  envelope  onion  salad  dressing  mix 
V4  cup  vinegar 

2  tablespoons  water 
%  cup  salad  oil 

%  cup  mayonnaise 
iy2   pounds  shredded  cabbage 
Vi   cup  chopped  green  pepper 

Add  the  salad  dressing  mix  to  the 
vinegar,  water,  and  oil  as  directed  on 
envelope.  Gradually  blend  into  the 
mayonnaise.  Combine  with  the  cabbage 
and  green   pepper.  Toss  lightly. 

Special  Chicken  Salad 

(3  cups) 

2  cups  cooked,  diced  chicken 
Y2  cup  halved  seeded  grapes 
y2   cup  diced  celery 
%   cup  slivered  almonds 

1   teaspoon  prepared  mustard 

1  teaspoon  lemon  juice 

1  teaspoon  sugar 
Y2  teaspoon  salt 
Dash  of  coarse  pepper 
3/4   cup  dairy  sour  cream 

Combine  the  chicken,  grapes,  celery, 
and  almonds.  Blend  together  the 
mustard,  lemon  juice,  sugar,  salt,  and 
pepper.  Gently  mix  in  the  sour  cream. 
Fold  the  dressing  into  the  chicken 
mixture  and  chill  well. 

Duo  Salad 

(6  servings) 


pound  sliced  summer  sausage,  cut 

in  bite-size  pieces 

pound  bologna,  cut  julienne  style 

cup  diced  celery 

tablespoons  pickle  relish,  drained 
V4  cup  sliced  green  onions 
1   can   (16-ounce)   pork  and   beans  in 

tomato  sauce 
1   can    (16-ounce)     garbanzo     beans, 


Vz 
1 
2 


V4   cup  Italian  dressing 
Lettuce 

Combine  the  first  7  ingredients.  Chill. 
Mix  vinegar  with  dressing.  Just  before 
serving,  pour  the  dressing  over  the 
salad  mixture  and  toss  lightly.  Serve 
on  lettuce. 

Mandarin  Salad 

Arrange  well-drained  mandarin  oranges 
on  greens;  sprinkle  with  toasted 
slivered  almonds.  Serve  with  French 
dressing. 

Dieter's  Dressing 

(iy4  cups) 

1  can   (IOV2   ounces)  condensed   beef 
broth 

2  tablespoons  chili  sauce  or  ketchup 
2  tablespoons  vinegar 

1   tablespoon  grated  onion 
1   ounce  crumbled  blue  cheese 

Combine  all  ingredients.  Shake  well 
and   serve  over  green   salad. 

Quick  Fruit  Salad  Dressing 

(1  cup) 

Mix  4  teaspoons  instant  orange  break- 
fast drink  and  1  cup  mayonnaise;  let 
stand  5  minutes.  Stir  and  serve  over 
fruits. 

Soup  on  the  Rocks 

(3  or  4  servings) 

Pour  condensed  beef  broth  straight 
from  the  can  over  ice  cubes.  Season 
with  Worcestershire  sauce  and  a  dash 
of  pepper.  Garnish  with  a  slice  of 
lemon. 

Tomato  Frost 

(3  or  4  servings) 

1  cup  tomato  juice 

2  tablespoons  lemon  juice 
iy2   tablespoons  sugar 
Onion  salt  to  taste 

Dash  of  pepper  and  cloves 
2  cups  cold  milk 

Combine  all  ingredients  and  blend 
with  blender  or  beater.  Sprinkle  with 
nutmeg.   Serve    immediately. 

Pink  Vichyssoise 

(3  or  4  servings) 


can    frozen    condensed 
potato  soup,  thawed 
soup  can   light  cream 
1   cup  chilled  tomato  juice 
Seasonings  to  taste 


cream    of 


Vz 


In  blender  or  mixer  combine  ingredi- 
ents. Beat  until  smooth.  Serve  imme- 
diately in   chilled   bowls. 


August  1968 


71 


Do  You  Work 
Cool  at  the  Office, 
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Are  you  enjoying  electric  air  conditioning  on  your  job? 
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—  where  you  spend  more  of  your  time. 

See  your  electric  dealer  or  air  conditioning  contractor 
now. 


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now 

Because  it's  electric,  it's  better! 

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COX'S  DELICOUS 

Creamed  Money 

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Aids  in  treatment  of  simple  sore 
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throat  irritations. 

HALLS  REMEDY 

Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 


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72 


Gazpacho 

(2  or  3  servings) 

1  can  condensed  tomato  soup 
1  cup  water 

1  tablespoon  olive  oil 

2  tablespoons  vinegar 
1  clove  garlic,  minced 

1  cup  finely  chopped  cucumber 
Y2   cup  finely  chopped  green  pepper 
%   cup  finely  chopped  green  onions 
Croutons 


Combine  the  soup,  water,  oil,  vinegar, 
and  garlic.  Chill  for  at  least  4  hours. 
Serve  in  chilled  bowls.  Pass  chilled 
vegetables  and  crisp  croutons  for 
garnishes. 

Kaye's  No-Bake  Orange  Cookies 

1  can  (small)  frozen  orange  juice 

1  7-ounce  package  vanilla  wafers 

1  square  butter 

1  package  powdered  sugar 

1  cup  chopped  nuts 

Crumb  the  vanilla  wafers.  Mix  all  in- 
gredients together,  form  into  balls, 
and  roll  in  coconut. 

Kaye's  No-Bake  Date  Cookies 

20  large  marshmallows,  cut  in  pieces 

1  cup  coconut 

1  cup  chopped  nuts 

1  cup  dates,  cut  up 
2/3  cup  sweetened  condensed  milk  (do 
not  use  evaporated  milk) 

1   cup  graham  cracker  crumbs 

Mix  marshmallows,  coconut,  nuts, 
dates,  and  milk  together;  form  into 
balls,  and  roll  in  the  graham  cracker 
crumbs.  If  you  double  the  recipe,  you 
can  use  the  whole  can  of  milk. 

Strawberries  on  Stems 


Wash  berries,  leaving  the  hulls  and 
stems  on.  Chill.  Arrange  on  individual 
plates;  pass  a  bowl  of  sour  cream 
and  brown  sugar  to  use  as  a  dip. 

Quick  Birthday  Cake 

Frost  one  of  the  new  frozen  three-layer 
cakes  with  no-cook  fudge  frosting  and 
decorate  with   chocolate  shot. 

No-Cook  Fudge  Frosting 

4  or  5  squares  unsweetened  chocolate 
Y3   cup  butter 

1  cup  maple-flavored  syrup 
314   cups  sifted  powdered  sugar 

2  teaspoons  vanilla 

Melt  the  chocolate  and  butter  over 
very  low  heat;  remove  from  heat  and 
stir  in  syrup.  Beat  in  half  of  the  sugar. 
Add  remaining  sugar  and  vanilla;  beat 
until  smooth.  Let  frosting  stand  a  few 
minutes.  If  it  is  not  of  spreading  con- 
sistency, add  a  small  amount  of  water 
if  it  is  too  thick  or  more  powdered 
sugar  if  it  is  too  thin.  O 


Improvement  Era 


My 

Sick-a-Bed 
Pillows 

By  Florence  J.  Johnson 

Flowers,  cheery  letters,  cards,  and  little  thoughtful  gifts  are 
usually  sent  to  friends  who  are  ill.  I  have  received  them  myself 
and  enjoyed  them  during  lonely  hours. 

I  have  another  way  to  cheer  my  ailing  friends.  I  let  them 
know  that  I  am  thinking  of  them  and  wishing  that  good  health 
would  soon  return  with  something  a  little  different,  something 
special.     I  send  sick-a-bed  pillows. 

It  started  when  a  young  friend  was  quite  ill.  She  found  it 
difficult  to  sleep,  and  she  tossed  restlessly  on  her  white-sheeted 
bed.     Her  favorite  color  was  pink. 

I  found  a  couple  of  pillows,  a  round  one  and  a  square  one, 
marked  down  because  they  were  a  bit  shopworn.  I  took  off  the 
original  covers  and  put  on  new  ones  of  washable  material  in  a 
bright,  rosy  pink.  The  covers  were  zippered  so  they  could  be 
laundered  easily.     They  really  made  a  hit. 

"It  was  like  sleeping  on  a  pink  cloud,"  my  friend  told  me  later, 
when  she  was  on  the  road  to  recovery. 

From  then  on  I  shopped  for  pillows  of  all  sizes  and  shapes, 
and  for  remnant  pieces  of  material.  I  never  give  pillows  shaped 
like  stuffed  animals  to  be  used  as  toys.  Mine  are  practical 
pillows  to  tuck  under  the  shoulder,  to  sleep  on,  and  to  encourage 
pleasant  dreams. 

The  materials  I  use  are  always  light,  soft,  and  dainty.  Dark 
reds  and  blues,  bright  hot  orange,  and  purple  are  taboo,  and 
prints  are  too  busy.  One  cannot  rest  and  relax  if  he  is  following 
a  design  with  restless,  feverish  intensity.  Solid  colors  and  an 
occasional  check  or  stripe  are  more  restful. 

An  older  friend  was  ill  during  the  hot  summer  months.  For 
her  I  chose  two  pillows  of  a  shade  of  green  that  was  like  a  thick, 
turfed  lawn  after  a  summer  rain— cool  and  refreshing.  Into  her 
pillows  I  slipped  a  pine-scented  sachet.  This  is  something  I  do 
only  when  I  know  my  friend  likes  a  particular  fragrance.  In  the 
closeness  of  a  sick  room,  scents  become  cloying  and  distasteful. 

Throw  pillows,  I  find,  can  be  used  after  the  illness  as  a 
decorative  touch  on  the  bed  or  on  the  davenport  in  the  living 
room  with  new  covers  matching  the  room's  color  scheme. 

Are  you  at  a  loss  to  know  what  to  give  a  friend  who  is  ill? 
Try  sick-a-bed  pillows. 


Simply 
Beautiful 


A  new,  exquisite  nightdress  —  with 
all  the  charm,  elegance  and  modesty 
of  Le  Voy's  fashion  tradition.  Clas- 
sically designed  of  rich,  opaque  tricot, 
overlayed  with  clouds  of  matching 
sheer.  100%  Nylon.  Pastel  Pink, 
Lemon  Yellow  or  Apple  Green.  No. 
1541.  Sizes  —  P,  S,  M,  L. 


$18.00 


See  Your  Local 
Le  Voy's  Consultant 

or 
Mail  Check  or  M.O. 
Postpaid  in  U.S.A. 


J*W 


>' 


August   1968 


2511  S.W.  Temple  »  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah  84115 


73 


The 

Presiding  Bishop 

Talks  to  Youth 

About 


Decisions 


By  Bishop  John  H.  Vandenberg 


#  Some  800  years  before  the  birth  of 
Christ,  the  prophet  Joel  saw  our  time, 
with  its  attendant  challenges.  He  saw 
that  it  was  to  be  a  period  when  "wicked- 
ness is  great."  He  described  our 
situation  as  a  people  in  this  way: 
"Multitudes,  multitudes  in  the  valley 
of  decision:  for  the  day  of  the  Lord  is 
near  in  the  valley  of  decision."  (Joel 
3:14.) 

Joel's  prophecy  is  certainly  being 
fulfilled,  for  we  are  "in  the  valley  of 
decision."  The  challenges  of  our 
present  day  require  that  we  be  decisive 
and  not  drifting  hither  and  thither 
between  the  "world's  way"  and  the 
"Lord's  way."  The  Lord  needs  people 
who  have  totally  committed  them- 
selves to  following  him.  Following  the 
Lord  requires  total  and  courageous 
commitment.  In  fact,  he  has  said, 
"He  that  is  not  with  me  is  against  me." 
(Matt.  12:30.)  We  can  see  the  truth 
of  this  statement  evidenced  as  we 
reflect  upon  Cain,  Judas,  or  Laman. 
Each  of  these  men  was  well-acquainted 


with  the  ways  of  the  Lord;  but  as  each 
stood  "in  the  valley  of  decision,"  he 
failed  to  commit  himself  to  following 
the   Lord. 

On  the  other  hand,  a  commitment 
to  that  which  is  right  is  the  companion 
of  greatness.  No  man  has  ever  be- 
come content  and  successful  without 
first  totally  deciding  to  do  that  which 
was  right. 

A  vivid  example  is  found  in  the  life 
of  Abraham  Lincoln.  Lincoln  is  now 
considered  a  great  man;  he  is  quoted 
and  looked  to  as  a  symbol  of  courage 
and  hope.  Yet,  in  spite  of  his  present 
honor  and  fame,  "Lincoln  knew  toil.  .  .  . 
He  knew  cold  and  hardship  .  .  .  want 
and  hunger  .  .  .  nature  chastened  him. 
She  taught  him  that  she  cannot  be 
deceived,  or  cheated,  .  .  .  [and]  gave 
him  an  honesty  of  his  very  bone  and 
muscle."  Lincoln  could,  in  today's 
terminology,  be  very  properly  termed 
"underprivileged."  Yet,  though  he 
knew  poverty  and  pain,  he  also  learned 
what  is   right— and   he  accepted  those 


principles  that  he  knew  were  right. 
Even  though  a  great  portion  of  the 
country  violently  disagreed  with  him, 
Lincoln  fought,  inspired,  and  was 
eventually  killed  for  his  unwavering 
commitment  to  what  he  saw  was 
right. 

Lincoln  commented  on  the  reason 
for  his  decision  in  these  words:  "That 
the  Almighty  does  make  use  of  human 
agencies  and  directly  intervenes  in 
human  affairs  is  one  of  the  plainest 
statements  in  the  Bible.  I  have  had 
so  many  evidences  of  his  direction, 
so  many  instances  when  I  have  been 
controlled  by  some  power  other  than 
my  own  will,  that  I  cannot  doubt  that 
this  power  comes  from  above.  ...  I 
am  satisfied  that  when  the  Almighty 
wants  me  to  do,  or  not  to  do,  a  par- 
ticular thing,  he  finds  a  way  of  letting 
me  know  it." 

Lincoln  was  great  because,  as  he 
stood  "in  the  valley  of  decision,"  he 
chose  the  right. 

In  The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter-day  Saints,  the  Lord  expects  and 
requires  that  we  constantly  live  by  the 
truths  of  the  gospel.  In  a  very  real 
sense  it's  impossible  to  be  a  part-time 
Saint.  Youth  of  the  Church,  be  not 
involved  in  cheating  in  your  activities 
or  disrespecting  your  parents.  A  per- 
son cannot  associate  with  practices 
that  he  knows  are  wrong,  such  as 
smoking,  drinking,  immorality,  and 
dishonesty,  and  then  conduct  his 
Church  assignment  with  honor  and 
dignity.     This  we  would  call  hypocrisy. 

As  we  search  the  scriptures  we  can 
see  that  the  Lord  respects  and  chooses 
men  who  are  committed  to  that  which 
they  believe.  A  paramount  example 
of  this  can  be  seen  in  the  Lord's 
calling  Saul  of  Tarsus  into  his  service. 

Saul  was  a  man  impelled  by  his 
convictions.  If  he  believed  something 
was  right,  he  was  entirely  devoted  to 
it.  No  doubt  he  felt  he  was  right  in 
ridding  the  country  of  what  he  believed 
to  be  heretical  Christians.  His  zeal 
in  this  effort  was  so  intense  that  the 
author  of  the  book  of  Acts  described 
his  mistaken  devotion  with  this  strong 


74 


Improvement  Era 


language:  "And  Saul,  [was]  yet  breath- 
ing out  threatenings  and  slaughter 
against  the  disciples  of  the  Lord.  .  .  ." 
(Acts  9:1.) 

Even  thougn  Saul's  commitment 
was  to  the  wrong  thing,  the  Lord 
realized  that  if  Saul  were  committed 
to  the  true  cause,  his  zeal  would  be 
just  as  intense.  As  Saul  was  journey- 
ing to  Damascus  in  pursuit  of  the 
Christians,  the  Lord  came  to  him  and 
said,  "Saul,  Saul,  why  persecutest 
thou   me? 

"And  he  said,  Who  are  thou,  Lord? 
And  the  Lord  said,  I  am  Jesus  whom 
thou  persecutest:  it  is  hard  for  thee 
to  kick  against  the  pricks." 

And  then  without  hesitation  or  dis- 
belief, Saul  asked,  "Lord,  what  wilt 
thou  have  me  to  do?"  (Acts  9:4-6.)  His 
decision  was  immediate,  and  the  rest 
of  his  life  is  a  witness  that  it  was 
real. 

Saul's  commitment  to  the  gospel 
made  him  a  great  missionary.  These 
words  that  he  wrote  to  Timothy  indi- 
cate how  complete  his  commitment 
was:  "For  God  hath  not  given  us  the 
spirit  of  fear;  but  of  power,  and  of 
love,  and  of  a  sound  mind. 

"Be  not  thou  therefore  ashamed  of 
the  testimony  of  our  Lord,  nor  of  me 
his  prisoner:  but  be  thou  partaker  of 
the  afflictions  of  the  gospel  according 
to  the  power  of  God."  (2  Tim.   1:7-8.) 

The  world  today  is  groping  for  men 
who  have  committed  themselves  to 
the  truth  to  the  degree  that  they  do 
not  have  "the  spirit  of  fear;  but  of 
power,  and  of  love,  and  of  a  sound 
mind." 

The  Lord's  call  to  Saul  indicates 
how  the  Lord  desires  that  men  and 
women  commit  themselves  and  then 
are  true  to  their  decisions.  This  need 
of  a  total  commitment  is  also  inferred 
in  this  passage  in  Revelation:  "I  know 
thy  works,  that  thou  are  neither  cold 
nor  hot:  I  would  thou  wert  cold  or 
hot. 

"...  I  will  spue  thee  out  of  my 
mouth."    (Rev.    3:15-16.) 

How  does  a  person  come  to  the 
point  where  he  can  totally  commit  him- 


self to  living  the  gospel?  Is  it  enough 
just  to  know  what  the  Church  teaches? 
Is  believing  that  the  Church  is  true 
an  adequate  basis  for  a  firm  commit- 
ment? Or  is  there  something  in  addi- 
tion that  is  required? 

Possibly  an  examination  of  the 
ministry  of  Simon  Peter,  an  apostle 
of  the  Lord,  can  help  us  answer  these 
queries.  Peter  knew  the  Lord  inti- 
mately. He  had  associated  very  closely 
with  him  for  three  years.  Peter  had 
confessed  openly  his  belief  and  under- 
standing of  who  the  Master  truly  was. 
Yet  at  the  trial  Peter  denied  his  asso- 
ciation with  the  Lord.  And  after  the 
crucifixion,  Peter,  lost  and  dismayed, 
said:  "I  go  a  fishing.  .  .  ."  (John  21:3.) 

It  wasn't  until  Peter  received  the 
witness  of  the  Holy  Ghost  and  then 
consciously  decided  to  commit  himself 
to  the  Lord's  work  that  he  was  able 
to  courageously  preach  Christ  Jesus  in 
the  house  of  rulers,  in  the  streets,  in 
prison,  or  wherever.  His  total  commit- 
ment was  evident  at  Pentecost  and 
from  then  throughout  his  ministry. 

For  us,  the  process  of  commitment 
is  the  same.  We  must  gain  the  wit- 
ness of  the  Holy  Spirit  as  to  the  divin- 
ity of  the  gospel,  and  then  we  must 
consciously  and  deliberately  decide  to 
live  by  the  principles  of  the  gospel  of 
Jesus  Christ.  This  final  step  is  im- 
portant; a  commitment  isn't  an  auto- 
matic, isolated  event.  We  can  only 
commit  ourselves  in  a  conscious  and 
deliberate  fashion.  With  Saul  we  must 
ask:  "Lord,  what  wilt  thou  have  me  to 
do?"  Then  we  must  carry  out  the 
desires  of  the  Lord. 

When  a  young  man  makes  a  state- 
ment of  righteous  intention  in  the  pres- 
ence of  his  peers,  he  will  by  reason 
of  that  commitment  usually  act 
accordingly. 

Committing  ourselves  to  the  gospel 
isn't  necessarily  an  easy  process.  Yet 
you  and  I  cannot  become  great  in  the 
kingdom  of  God  without  so  doing.  As 
we  now  stand  "in  the  valley  of  de- 
cision," we  must,  like  Joshua,  firmly 
declare,  ".  .  .  as  for  me  and  my  house, 
we  will  serve  the  Lord. "(Josh. 24:15. )0 


August  1968 


f 

This  year.  .  . 

Be  on  the 
Scene! 

at  every  home  game! 


I    10\NA  STATE 
««*».*,l"Sf J? football 


BYU 


",,c  as 

nd,n9  champs. 

I 

TEXAS  AT  EL  PASO 

Saturday,  October  26th 
Plenty  rfSfti  *>™c|*  in  this  game 
which  highlights  Homecoming  activmes^ 

o        UTAH  STATE       l5^U 

The  c°Z";isNrem^  ** — " 


series. 


ARIZONA  STATE 
Saturday,  November  16th 

Picked  as  one  of  the  WAC  favorites  in  '68  the 
Sun  Devils  have  one  of  the  best  teams  ever. 


SEASON  TICKET  RESERVATION  REQUEST 


Fieldhouse  Ticket  Office 

Brigham  Young  University 
Provo,  Utah  84601 

Enclosed  find  my  check  for  $_ 

covers  the  following  order  for  season  tickets. 


Prices  reflect  a 
discount  of  $2.00 
to  $7.00  off  the 
regular  price. 


.which 


Please  send. 


.Chair  Seat  Tickets  @  $20  ea. 
.Bench  Seat  Tickets  @  $15  ea. 
.Economy  Adult  Tickets  @  $10  ea. 
.Economy  Child  Tickets  @  $  5  ea. 


Name_ 


.Zip_ 


Clip  and  mail 
coupon  todayf 


75 


May   1968 

Funeral  services  were  held  at 
Farmington,  Utah,  for  Amasa  L. 
Clark,  102,  last  survivor  of  the  original 
Primary  class  held  in  1878.  He  died 
May  25.  The  banking  and  community 
leader  had  served  the  Church  as  mis- 
sionary, bishop,  Scout  leader,  and 
stake  Sunday  School   superintendent. 

June  1968 

The  First  Presidency  announced 
the  appointments  of  R.  Wayne 
Shute  and  Walter  R.  Bills  as  mission 
presidents,  with  their  fields  of  labor  to 
be  announced  later. 

Upon  hearing  that  Senator 
Robert  F.  Kennedy,  presidential 
candidate,  had  succumbed  to  an  assas- 
sin's bullet  wounds,  President  David  0. 
McKay  made  this  statement: 

"We   join   with    a    shocked   American 
citizenry  in  expressing  our  deep  sorrow 


The  Church 
Moves  On 


in  the  assassination  of  Senator  Robert 
F.  Kennedy. 

"His  death  under  such  deplorable 
circumstances  is  a  tragedy  not  only  to 
an  American  family  and  to  a  political 
party,  but  to  the  whole  of  our  great 
nation.  We  regret  the  circumstances 
which  have  brought  about  his  death 
at  the  very  height  of  a  prominent 
career. 

"We  join  with  the  rest  of  the  nation 
in  extending  our  sincere  sympathy  to 
his  sorrowing  widow  and  the  members 
of  his  family  and  pray  God's  blessings 
will  sustain  them  in  this  hour  of  their 
bereavement." 


Senator   Kennedy   had   visited   Presi- 
dent McKay  March  27. 

The  First  Presidency  announced 
the  appointment  of  Gordon  M. 
Romney  of  El  Paso,  Texas,  as  presi- 
dent of  the  Mexican  Mission. 

New  stake  presidency:  President 
S.  Perry  Lee  and  counselors 
George  L.  Ward  and  Werner  B.  Moeller, 
Cannon   (Salt   Lake  City)   Stake. 

The  First  Presidency  announced 
the  appointments  of  Edward 
Yukio  Okazaki,  Robert  E.  Wells,  and 
Milton  J.  Hess  as  mission  presidents. 

These  are  the  fields  of  labor  for  all 
of  the  new  mission  presidents  recently 
appointed: 

Milton  J.  Hess,  Australian  West 
Stephen    L.    Brower,    Colombia-Vene- 
zuela 
Arturo      Martinez,      Mexican      North 
Central 


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76 


BERNINA  IMPORTERS 

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Improvement  Era 


Hal  Roscoe  Johnson,  Brazilian  North 
Edward  Y.  Okazaki,  Japan  (formerly 

northern  area  of  Northern  Far  East 

Mission) 
Arthur  S.  Anderson,  Central  Atlantic 

States 
Walter      R.      Bills,      Japan-Okinawa 

(southern   Japan   and    Okinawa) 
Winfield  Q.  Cannon,  West  German 
M.  Elmer  Christensen,  Swiss 
Wilbur  W.  Cox,  California  North 
Peter  Dalebout,   Netherlands 
C.  Leland  Davey,  Canadian 
Paul  H.  Dunn,  New  England 
Warren    Brent   Hardy,    Southern    Far 

East 
Allen  E.  Litster,  Andes 
Arnold  N.  P.  Roberts,  Great  Lakes 
Gordon  M.  Romney,  Mexican 
R.  Wayne  Shute,  Samoan 
Robert  H.  Slover,  Korean 
Milton  E.   Smith,  Central  American 
Dale  T.  Tingey,  Southwest  Indian 
William      Stanford     Wagstaff,      Gulf 

States 
Harold  N.  Wilkinson,  Eastern  States 
Robert  E.  Wells,  Northern  Mexican 

Holladay  South  Stake,  460th  in 
the  current  list  of  stakes,  was 
organized  from  portions  of  Holladay 
(Salt  Lake  County)  Stake  by  Elder 
Harold  B.  Lee  of  the  Council  of  the 
Twelve  and  Elder  Eldred  G.  Smith, 
Patriarch  to  the  Church.  Marvin  L. 
Pugh  was  sustained  as  president,  with 
Keith  C.  Brown  and  Dan  Frampton  as 
counselors. 

New  stake  presidencies  sustained: 
President  James  R.  Clegg  and  coun- 
selors Alfred  H.  Bennion  and  Chad  C. 
Nelson,  Millcreek  (Salt  Lake  County) 
Stake;  President  Donald  M.  Ferguson 
and  counselors  Weston  F.  Killpack 
and  Kenneth  G.  Bell,  Temple  View 
(Salt  Lake  City)  Stake;  President  Mer- 
lin W.  Sant  and  counselors  John  K. 
Carmack  and  William  W.  Tanner,  Los 
Angeles  (California)  Stake. 

Mrs.  Leola  Seely  Anderson,  wife  of 
President  H.  Duane  Anderson  of  the 
French  Mission,  was  killed  in  an  auto- 
mobile accident  near  Bordeaux.  Presi- 
dent  Anderson    received    eight    broken 


ribs  and  a  broken  wrist  in  the  acci- 
dent. Mrs.  Anderson,  a  native  of  Salt 
Lake  City,  taught  with  her  husband  at 
San  Bernardino  Valley  College,  Cali- 
fornia, prior  to  being  called  to  the 
French  Mission  in  May  1967. 


The  appointment  of  Sharon  Lee 
Staples  of  the  Holladay  (Salt 
Lake  County)  25th  Ward  to  the  general 
board  of  the  Young  Women's  Mutual 
Improvement  Association  was  an- 
nounced. O 


Richard   L.   Evans 

The  Spoken  Word 


Consensus  on  young  people  with  problems 


On  the  urgent  question  of  law  and  order,  and  of  young  people 
with  problems,  a  panel  of  internationally  eminent  enforcement 
officers  had  these  significant  things  to  say:1  that  crime  has 
increased  55  percent  while  the  nation's  population  has  increased  10  per- 
cent; that  there  is  about  a  50-50  chance  that  a  person  arrested  for  a  serious 
crime  will  be  under  18  years  of  age,  and  the  greatest  increase  is  among 
those  14  years  of  age  and  under.  Usually  the  die  is  cast  on  the  side 
of  criminality  before  the  age  of  14.  It  is  shocking  to  absorb  this  shocking 
fact.  About  five  out  of  every  100  persons  between  ten  and  17  years  of 
age  become  involved  in  the  committing  of  serious  crime,  as  measured 
by  arrests— but  95  percent  do  not.  The  great  preponderance  of  young 
people  is  not  worse,  but  at  least  as  good  as,  if  not  better  than  in  former 
times.  We  should  neither  overestimate  nor  underestimate  the  unrest 
of  youth.  We  should  give  it  the  meaning  it  deserves.  The  breakdown 
of  the  family  is  among  the  most  serious  contributors  to  crime;  juvenile 
delinquency  is  evidence  that  a  family  is  in  trouble  rather  than  just  a 
boy  or  girl  in  trouble.  The  number  of  offenders  that  come  from  broken 
homes  is  far  greater  than  the  others.  This  is  a  known  fact.  (Our  effort 
is  aimed  at  healing  the  family.)  Most  indispensable  is  a  feeling  of 
affection,  a  warm  and  pleasant  home  atmosphere,  disciplined  training, 
wholesome  outlets  for  the  exuberance  of  youth,  education  and  employ- 
ment opportunity,  parental  responsibility,  and  greater  respect  for  living 
and  upholding  the  law.  The  rule  of  law  is  the  cornerstone  of  democracy. 
Unchecked,  unrestrained,  and  lawless  protest  could  tear  down  the  founda- 
tions of  civilization.  We  must  look  to  our  homes,  ourselves,  our 
character,  our  conduct;  love  our  children  more  and  not  be  permissive  in 
disregard  for  law.  Such  are  some  of  the  conclusions  of  eminent  pro- 
fessional men  from  five  countries  and  three  continents.  It  is  true  around 
the  world,  and  reemphasizes  what  another  eminent  leader  has  said: 
"No  other  success  can  compensate  for  failure  in  the  home."- 

]Quoted  and  paraphrased  from  panel  of  participants  at  Rotary  International  convention,  Mexico 
City,  May  15,  1968:  Erwin  D.  Canham,  editor-in-chief,  Christian  Science  Monitor,  Boston, 
Mass.;  Chief  Leonard  G.  Lawrence,  president,  International  Association  of  Chiefs  of  Police,  Inc., 
Hamilton,  Ontario,  Canada;  Kurth  Lindroth,  deputy,  National  Directorate  of  Police,  Stockholm, 
Sweden;  Dr.  Gerhard  Littman,  Polizeiprasdent,  Polizieprasidium,  West  Germany;  Judge  Yorihiro 
Naito,  Tokyo,  Japan. 

-President  David  O.   McKay. 

Ht  "The  Spoken  Word"  from  Temple  Square,  presented  over  KSL  and  the  Columbia 
Broadcasting  System   May  19,   1968.    Copyright  1968. 


August   1968 


77 


Buffs  and  Rebuffs 


On  Censorship 

I  noted  with  great  interest  the  article 
"Is  Censorship  the  Answer?"  [May]  and 
the  remarks  of  J.  Edgar  Hoover  in  "The 


Evils  of  Obscene  Materials."  I  am  di- 
rectly involved  with  the  problem  of 
objectionable  literature  in  the  Province 
of  Alberta,  being  chairman  of  the  Ad- 
visory Board  on  Objectionable  Publica- 
tions of  the  Province  of  Alberta. 

Our  provincial  government  has  set  up 
the  board  to  serve  with  respect  to  comic 
books,  tabloids,  and  magazines.  The 
board  was  originally  set  up  in  1955.  as  a 
result    of    pressure    from    various    groups 


Richard   L.    Evans 

The  Spoken  Word 


To  Finish  .  . . 


For  youth,  it  is  a  season  of  searching  and  decision,  with  some  com- 
pleting school,  some  deciding  to  continue  to  further  attainment, 
some  quitting  before  they  acquire  credentials.  From  the  Master, 
there  is  a  meaningful  reminder:  "For  which  of  you,  intending  to  build 
a  tower,  sitteth  not  down  first,  and  countest  the  cost  .  .  .  ?  Lest  haply, 
after  he  hath  laid  the  foundation,  and  is  not  able  to  finish  it,  all  that 
behold  it  begin  to  mock  him,  Saying,  This  man  began  to  build,  and 
was  not  able  to  finish."1  This  suggests  commendation  to  those  who 
have  finished  what  good  thing  they  began,  and  encouragement  to 
those  who  have  yet  further  to  finish.  There  is  special  satisfaction  and 
reward  for  the  finishers.  The  opportunities  are  always  less  for  the 
undisciplined  mind  or  the  untrained  hand.  It  is  a  time  when  men 
should  acquire  competence,  a  time  when  men  need  to  know.  In  this 
learning  process  we  learn  that  Nature  lives  by  law.  And  if  we  are  to 
live  in  a  safe  and  provident  society,  we  learn  that  the  process  of  law 
is  an  absolute  essential.  Another  lesson  to  be  learned  is  the  need  for 
our  participating  part  in  solving  problems.  Hamlet,  in  pondering  his 
problems,  said:  "The  time  is  out  of  joint;  O  cursed  spite,  that  I  was  ever 
born  to  set  it  right."-  We  all  were  bom  to  set  right  what  needs  our 
efforts  and  what  is  within  our  reach.  Another  lesson  to  be  learned  is 
the  law  of  work  that  God  himself  gave.  Another  is  not  letting  interrup- 
tions keep  us  off  course.  Whatever  intervenes,  we  should  get  back  on 
course,  in  the  pursuit  of  competence,  as  quickly  as  we  can.  As  educa- 
tion teaches  men  to  think,  to  work,  to  accept  responsibility  with  respect 
for  law  and  the  lasting  values  of  life,  it  is  worth  all  the  endeavor,  and 
money,  and  time  it  takes.  Everyone  should  acquire  alj.  the  wholesome 
knowledge,  all  the  qualifying  credentials,  all  the  competence  he  can, 
with  fullest  possible  preparation.  "For  which  of  you,  intending  to  build 
a  tower,  sitteth  not  down  first,  and  counteth  the  cost"— and  which  of  vou 
would  choose  to  fail  to  finish? 

'Luke    14:28-30. 

-Shakespeare,    Hamlet.    Act   I,    so.    5. 

*  "The  Spoken  Word"  from  Temple  Square,  presented  over  KSL  and  the  Columbia 
Broadcasting  System  June  2,   1968.     Copyright   1968. 


and  individuals,  and  has  proven  very 
effective.  The  board  fortunately  has 
entered  into  a  working  agreement  with 
three  wholesale  distributors  whereby  any 
magazine  found  objectionable  by  the 
board  is  removed  from  distribution  by 
the  distributors.  This  working  agreement 
has  operated  since  1959;  and  as  a  result, 
over  170  publications  have  been  with- 
drawn from  distribution  here  in  the 
Province  of  Alberta. 

The  author  of  "Censorship,"  Dr. 
Dallas  Burnett,  says,  "Genuine  citizen 
concern  is  absolutely  essential  in  fight- 
ing pornography."  I  can  endorse  whole- 
heartedly this  observation,  and  illustrate 
the  result  thereof  by  what  has  happened 
in  Alberta.  I  might  add  that  the  board 
encourages  the  public  to  forward  for 
review  publications  that  they  consider 
objectionable.  .  .  .  The  board  also  recog- 
nizes the  danger  of  over-zealousness, 
and,  therefore,  we  have  adopted  a 
unanimity  ride  whereby  any  publication 
recommended  for  withdrawal  must 
have  the  unanimous  consent  of  each 
member  of  the  board. 

Donald  V.  Steele 
Lethbridge,   Alberta,   Canada 


I  was  pleased  to  note-  the  excellent  cov- 
erage afforded  my  message  in  your  May 
issue,  and  it  is  my  hope  that  your  readers 
found  my  comments  of  interest. 

J.  Edgar  Hoover,  Director 
Federal  Bureau  of  Investigation 
Washington,  D.  C. 

After  High  School  What? 

We  have  received  many  letters  thanking 
us  for  the  article,  "After  High  School 
What?"  [April  Era  of  Youth],  and  we 
thought  that  you  would  appreciate  know- 
ing that  it  seemed  to  answer  many  ques- 
tions and  to  serve  a  need.  The  following 
are  sample  quotes: 

A  woman  from  Lovell,  Wyoming: 
".  .  .  it  is  an  answer  to  our  prayers.  I 
have  a  son  who  just  doesn't  know  which 
way  to  go,  and  I  am  hoping  you  can 
help."  A  girl  from  Kyoto,  Japan:  "I  am 
going  to  study  LDS  Business  College 
next  May.  Can  you  help  me  place  to 
stay  and  cost  for  education?"  A  mother 
from  New  York:  "I  was  inspired  to  seek 
your  office  as  a  source  of  help  after 
reading  my  recent  Era."  A  student  from 
Nebraska:  "I  need  help  on  what  to  do. 
Your  article  seems  an  answer  to  my 
prayers."  A  brother  from  Guatemala: 
"Please  send  us  more  information.  There 
are  several  young  men  and  girls  here 
that  need  help  in  their  educational 
planning."  A  student  from  New  Jersey: 
".  .  .  it  cannot  be  praised  enough.  It  ap- 
peared just  at  the  time  that  it  could  be 
of  most  value." 

Robert  Spencer,   Director 
Educational    Information    & 
Guidance  Center 
for  LDS  Students 
Provo,  Utah 

Cumorah   Pageants 

'the  article  "Early  Cumorah  Pageants" 
[June]    and    the    accompanying    illustra- 


78 


Improvement  Era 


tions  are  excellent,  and  I've  received 
favorable  comment  from  friends  in 
various  areas. 

Dr.  Oliver  R.  Smith 
Brigharri  Young  University 

Clams  and  Gravel 

Thank  you  so  very  much  for  the  check. 
We  have  a  standing  promise  that  when 
Mamma  sells  a  story,  the  family  goes 
out  to  dinner.  So  we  went  out,  all  eight 
of  us,  to  a  clam  dinner.  There  was 
enough  left  over  to  buy  a  load  of  gravel 
for  the  driveway.  So  you  see,  the  Era 
spreads  joy  in  all  directions. 

Virginia  M.  Kammeyer 
Seattle,   Washington 

Strength  to  Missionaries,  Members 

We  see  your  names  monthly  and  think 
about  the  good  work  you  are  doing  in 
sending  us  the  inspiration  and  motiva- 
tion that  is  contained  within  the  Era.  I 
didn't  ever  realize  how  valuable  it  was 
until  receiving  this  mission  assignment. 
The  magazine  is  a  great  strength  to  the 
members  and  to  the  missionaries.  We 
appreciate  the  effort  and  time  that  go 
into   preparing  each  monthly   copy. 

George  I.  Cannon,  President 
Central  British   Mission 

Manti  Temple 

I  recently  visited  the  Manti  Temple  and 
noticed  there  are  numerous  spots  on  the 
temple  exterior  that  seemingly  were 
made  for  very  small  windows,  but  that 
now  contain  a  stone  in  them  instead  of 
glass.     Can  you  tell  me  about  this? 

Kathy  Christiansen 
Hooper,  Utah 


According  to  A.  Bent  Peterson,  Manti 
Temple  president,  in  the  building  of  the 
temple,  small  openings  were  left  at 
designated  places  for  the  boom  poles  or 
tie  poles  of  the  scaffolding  to  run  through 
the  walls  into  the  building.  By  this 
method,  scaffolding  was  placed  at  the 
right  distance  from  the  building  and 
made  steady  and  safe  for  workers.  When 
the  building  was  completed  and  the 
scaffolding  removed,  the  small  openings 
were  filled  with  pieces  of  stone. 

President  Peterson  also  chided  us  for 
mistakenly  using  the  photo  of  the  Ari- 
zona Temple  baptismal  font  with  the 
Manti  Temple  article.  Here  is  the  cor- 
rect Manti  Temple  font: 


"Menus  for  Missionaries" 

Thanks  for  the  menus  [Today's  Family, 
March]  and  help  in  meal  planning.  As 
missionaries  with  little  time  for  meal 
preparation,  we  found  the  recipes  help- 
ful. We  tried  the  idea  of  planning  our 
weekly  menu,  and  it  saved  us  both  time 
and  money. 

Sisters  Kienitz  and  Gilmore 
New  Zealand  Mission 


Folk  Tale 
By  Maureen  Cannon 


My  village,  like  a  sleepy  tortoise,  blinks, 

Bewildered  by  the  sudden  summer  cries 

Of   tourists  in  pursuit,  and,   trembling,   shrinks 

And  wishes  it  tvere  half  its  tiny  size — 

In  June,  that  is.    By  August,  coffers  filling 

With  guidebook  gold,  it's   rather  more  than  willing 

To  play  the  game  and  murmur  no  complaint. 

There's  not  another  village  quite  so  "quaint." 


August   1968 


FOR  OLD-FASHIONED 

HEALTH-GIVING 

GOODNESS 


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wheat,  corn,  nuts, 
etc.    Easily  adjusts 
for  fine  or  coarse 
grinding.     New 
#1CTSP  mill  with  finer 
grinding  plates  $10.95 
postpaid.     East  of   Rockies 
add  $1.00  postage.  Finer 
grinding  plates  for  old 
#1C  mill   $1.95   postpaid. 

Stone  grind  your  own  whole  wheat 
with  our  All-Grain  flour  mill  .  .  . 


If  you  plan  to  buy  an  electric  flour  mill 
.  .  .  buy  the  best.  We  have  them  ready 
to  ship.  Write  for  more  information! 

French  slice  your  own  beans 


Slices    beans    lengthwise    (french    cut) 
.  .  .  works  beautifully!    Tenderizes  and 
makes  delicious  frozen  beans, 
fine  quality  .  .  .  $5.75  postpaid 

Kernel  Kutter 


Cuts  all  kernels  with  one  quick  stroke! 
Fits  all  size  ear's  . .  .  perfect  for  freezing, 
canning  or  table  use  .  .  .  100%  stain- 
less steel!  Only  $1.50  postpaid. 

Write  for  special  quantity  church  prices 


Send  orders  to: 

SMITHFIELD  IMPLEMENT  CO. 

99  N.  Main  Smithfield,  Utah  84335 


79 


By  Margaret  Tuttle  Goff 

Tight-lipped,    they    strain    and 

wrestle  with  a  land 
Thirsty  and  parched  beneath  a 

blazing  sky; 
Worn    with    despair,    exert    a 

prayerful  hand 
To  tilt  their  buckets  where  the 

corn  is  dry. 

Through  Sabbath  hush,  there 
rings  a  prophet's  word: 

"Will  man  rob  God?  Open  your 
hearts  and  give! 

Give,  and  bring  tithes,  with  con- 
trite souls  and  stirred, 

And  rain  shall  come — your  corn, 
your  crops  shall  live." 


Ah,  does  the  Lord  give  promises 
in  vain? 

Through  the  ensuing  days  of 
drought,  each  shows 

Triumphant  trust,  till  skies 
flood  black  with  rain, 

And  each  heart's  cup  of  glad- 
ness overflows. 

He    who    ivas    spent    in    dusty 

thirst  and  grief 
Can  iveigh  this  precious  harvest 

of  belief. 


80 


Improvement  Era 


New  England 

Leadership 

in  the  Rise  and  Progress 

01  tile  dhUrCll  By  Gustive  O.  Larson 


"Vermont,  you  know,  also  has  a  claim  upon  Brigham 
Young."  The  speaker  was  the  governor  of  Vermont,  who 
was  in  Utah  for  a  governor's  conference  in  1947.  He 
might  have  made  the  same  claim  on  Joseph  Smith,  in 
whose  footsteps  the  Mormon  colonizer  faithfully  fol- 
lowed. 

Brigham  Young  was  born  at  Wittenburg,  Vermont, 
and  a  statue  of  him  is  in  the  Statuary  Hall,  Washington, 
D.C.,  representing  the  state  of  Utah.  A  marble  shaft, 
rising  high  about  Joseph  Smith's  birthplace  in  Sharon, 
Windsor  County,  Vermont,  serves  as  a  shrine  for  today's 
members  of  The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day 
Saints.  These  two  sons  of  Vermont  are  worthy  repre- 
sentatives of  New  England  leadership,  which  dominated 
the  rise  and  progress  of  Mormonism  in  America. 

Seven  of  Joseph  Smith's  forefathers  came  to  America 
on  the  Mayflower  in  1620;  three  of  them  signed  the 
Mayflower  Compact.  Several  of  the  ancestors  of  Joseph 
Smith  and  Brigham  Young  served  creditably  in  the 
American  Revolution.  The  names  of  others  appeared  on 
pioneering  rolls,  in  public  office,  and  in  the  ministry. 


Gustive  0.  Larson,  high  priest  group  leader  in  the  Oak 
Hills  Second  Ward,  East  Sharon  Stake,  and  associate 
professor  of  history  and  religion  at  Brigham  Young  Uni- 
versity, is  a  former  Swedish  Mission  president  and  author 
of  several  Church  books  and  lesson  manuals. 


They  helped  create  the  New  England  backgrounds  from 
which  not  only  came  the  Smiths  and  Youngs,  but  also 
most  of  the  early  converts  to  the  Church  who  moved 
west  across  the  continent. 

The  considerable  number  of  these  converts  and  their 
dominance  in  the  progress  of  the  Church  created  ties 
with  the  New  England  states  that  continue  to  this  day. 

Beyond  environmental  factors  in  its  origin,  Mormon- 
ism claims  divine  intervention  in  the  restoration  of  the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ.  Nowhere  was  the  stage  set  more 
perfectly  for  the  drama  of  the  restoration  than  in  the 
"burned-over  district"1  of  western  New  York  in  the 
early  decades  of  the  nineteenth  century.  Here  a  reform 
movement  was  in  full  swing  with  its  search  for  commu- 
nitarian Utopias  and  millennial  fulfillments.  Religious 
revivals  stirred  the  souls  of  men  to  repentance  and  to 
inquiry  after  the  true  word  of  God.  Here  a  modern 
prophet  could  rise  with  a  message  and  a  program  to  sat- 
isfy the  longings  of  seekers  after  truth  and  those  dissatis- 
fied with  current  religious  creeds. 

It  was  in  this  setting  that  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith 
made  his  startling  announcement  that  God  had  spoken 
anew  from  the  heavens.  The  religious  questions  of  the 
day  were  given  definite  answers  in  modern  scriptures; 
every  worthy  male  convert  became  a  responsible  agent 
of  the  kingdom  of  God  through  reception  of  the  Holy 
Priesthood;  and  salvation  emphasis  shifted  from  sectarian 
repentance    in    preparation    for    the    life    to    come,    to 


August  1968 


81 


achievement  of  heavenly  rewards  for  righteous  living 
here  and  now. 

Those  male  converts  to  The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ 
of  Latter-day  Saints  who  were  ordained  to  the  priest- 
hood felt  called  to  share  the  message  of  the  restoration 
with  relatives  and  friends  and  to  warn  their  neighbors 
against  the  day  of  Christ's  coming. 

Soon  after  its  official  organization  at  Fayette,  New 
York,  on  April  6,  1830,  headquarters  of  the  Church  was 
moved  to  Kirtland  in  eastern  Ohio.  In  July  1831,  Jack- 
son County,  Missouri,  was  designated  as  "Zion,"  to 
which  the  modern  Saints  were  encouraged  to  gather. 
From  these  two  centers,  proselyting  was  extended  with 
considerable  success  through  Ohio,  Pennsylvania,  the 
middle  and  southern  states,  and  Canada.  But  nowhere 
were  Mormon  missionary  labors  rewarded  as  they  were 
in  New  York  and  New  England  states.  It  was  natural 
that  converts  from  western  New  York  should  return  with 
the  "good  news"  to  friends  and  relatives  in  Vermont, 
Connecticut,  New  Hampshire,  Maine,  or  Massachusetts. 

While  sporadic  contacts  had  been  made  earlier,  it 
was  in  1832  that  four  stalwart  native  sons  returned  to 
New  England  to  open  that  region  to  Mormonism.  Orson 
Hyde  and  Samuel  Smith  labored  in  the  area  cast  of  the 
Connecticut  River,  while  Orson  Pratt  and  Lyman  E. 
Johnson  proselyted  between  the  Connecticut  and  the 
Hudson.  The  following  year  Pratt  and  Johnson  recorded 
baptizing  50  converts,  and  John  T.  Boynton  and  Jared 
Carter  had  similar  success  in  Maine.  Soon  more  than 
two  score  congregations  of  Latter-day  Saints  arose  with- 
in 150  miles  from  the  Connecticut  River  Valley. - 

In  1835  the  newly  appointed  Council  of  Twelve 
Apostles  moved  in  a  body  through  New  York  into  New 
England,  preaching  and  organizing  the  scattered  units 
for     more     effective     administration.      The     numerous 


Some  21  of  the  29  men 
in  the  Church 


branches  were  grouped  into  three  geographically  defined 
conferences,  including  the  areas  of  Vermont,  Maine,  and 
Massachusetts.  While  New  York,  the  state  of  its  birth, 
contributed  the  greatest  number  of  converts  to  the 
Church  during  the  1830's  and  1840's,  New  England  as 
a  whole  roughly  equalled  that  number. 

In  1835,  when  the  Church  organization  had  devel- 
oped into  its  present  general  pattern,  26  men  occupied 
places  of  trust  in  the  First  Presidency,  the  Council  of  the 
Twelve  Apostles,  and  the  presidents  of  seventies.  In 
addition,  there  were  a  patriarch  and  two  bishops.  For 
our  purposes  we  are  using  the  membership  of  the  First 
Council  of  the  Seventy  as  it  functioned  after  April  1837. 
These  26  men  are  listed  in  the  top  chart  at  the  bottom 
of  this  page. 

Eight  of  the  leaders  that  are  listed  were  natives  of 
Vermont,  six  of  Massachusetts,  three  of  Connecticut  (to 
whom  might  be  added  the  Pratt  brothers,  whose  parents 
came  from  there),  three  of  New  York,  two  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  one  each  of  Maine,  Tennessee,  Indiana,  and 
New  Hampshire. 

Before  Joseph  Smith's  death  in  Illinois  nearly  a  dec- 
ade later,  several  changes  had  taken  place  in  the  top 
ranks  of  the  Church.  Brigham  Young,  by  virtue  of 
seniority,  had  advanced  to  the  presidency  of  the  Council 
of  the  Twelve  Apostles.  Twelve  of  the  original  leaders 
had  dropped  out,  and  eight  of  those  who  replaced  them 
were  of  New  England  stock.  The  revised  leadership 
included  those  in  bottom  chart  below. 


Names 

Places  of  Birth 

Heber  C.  Kimball 

Vermont 

Presidents  of  Seventies: 

Orson  Hyde 

Connecticut 

Joseph  Young 

Massachusetts 

Presidency: 

William  E.  McLellin 

Tennessee 

Levi  W.  Hancock 

Massachusetts 

Joseph  Smith,  Jr. 

Vermont 

Parley  P.  Pratt 

New  York 

James  Foster 

Indiana 

Sidney  Rigdon 

Pennsylvania 

Luke  S.  Johnson 

Vermont 

Daniel  S.  Miles 

New  Hampshire 

Frederick  G.  Williams    Connecticut 

William  B.  Smith 

Vermont 

Josiah  Butterfield 

Maine 

Oliver  Cowdery* 

Vermont 

Orson  Pratt 

New  York 

John  Gaylord 

Pennsylvania 

Quorum  of  Twelve 

Apostles: 

John  F.  Boynton 

Massachusetts 

Salmon  Gee 

Connecticut 

Thomas  B.  Marsh 

Massachusetts 

Lyman  E.  Johnson 

Vermont 

Bishops: 

David  W.  Patten 

New  York 

Patriarch: 

Edward  Partridge 

Massachusetts 

Brigham  Young 

Vermont 

Joseph  Smith,  Sr. 

Massachusetts 

Newell  K.  Whitney 

Vermont 

Hyrum  Smith 

Vermont 

Wilford  Woodruff           Connecticut 

Lyman  Wight 

New  York 

William  Law 

Canada 

George  A.  Smith                 New  York 

Amasa  Lyman 

New  Hampshire 

John  E.  Page 

New  York 

(New  Hampshire) 

Henry  Harriman 

Massachusetts 

John  Taylor 

England 

Willard  Richards         Massachusetts 

Zera  Pulsipher 

Vermont 

82 


Improvement  Era 


who  in  1835  held  prominent  positions 
were  from  New  England. 


Upon  learning  of  the  Prophet's  martyrdom  on  June 
27,  1844,  Brigham  Young,  who  was  then  on  a  mission 
in  New  England,  quickly  sensed  his  responsibility  as 
head  of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve.  That  body,  before 
returning  to  Nauvoo,  issued  its  first  communication  to 
the  Church  from  the  city  of  Boston  on  July  18.  Back 
in  Nauvoo  the  council  was  sustained  as  the  presiding 
authority  of  the  Church,  with  Brigham  Young  at  its 
head. 

As  part  of  the  general  reorganization,  the  new  leader 
appointed  Parley  P.  Pratt  in  December  1 844  to  supervise 
Church  affairs  in  the  New  York  region,  and  Ezra  T. 
Benson,  native  of  Massachusetts,  to  take  charge  of  the 
Boston  Conference.  After  leading  a  number  of  the  Saints 
west  to  Nauvoo  the  following  year,  Benson  became  a 
member  of  the  first  company  moving  out  in  the  exodus 
of  1846.   At  Council  Bluffs,  he  was  ordained  an  apostle. 

The  Church  in  America  now  included  5,000  English 
converts.  Also,  many  others,  responding  to  the  message 
of  the  restoration  in  America,  were  adding  substantially 
to  the  gathering  stream  pouring  into  the  Great  Basin 
beyond  the  Rockies.  But  in  the  accounting  of  the  first 
year's  arrivals  in  the  Salt  Lake  Valley  in  1847,  New 
Yorkers  ranked  first  in  numbers  and  were  equalled  by 
the  combined  representation  from  the  New  England 
states.  Forty  of  the  original  pioneer  group  of  146  adults 
were  born  in  New  England.  There  was  also  a  good 
sprinkling  of  New  Englanders  in  the  Mormon  Battalion, 
which  marched  as  part  of  the  U.S.  forces  in  the  war 
against  Mexico.  The  invitation  for  500  Mormons  to 
participate  as  a  battalion  in  the  march  to  California 
came  in  response  to  the  efforts  in  Washington  of  Jesse 
C.  Little,  a  native  of  Maine,  working  closely  with  others. 

Other  New  Englanders  rose  to  Church  and  civic 
leadership  in  the  days  before  Utah  achieved  statehood 
in  1896.  When  the  Mormons  applied  for  statehood  in 
1849  under  a  constitution  largely  formulated  by  New 
England  lawmakers,  they  elected  Almon  W.  Babbitt, 
lawyer  from  Massachusetts,  as  delegate  to  Congress. 
Lorenzo  Snow,  born  in  Ohio  of  Puritan  parentage,  be- 
came an  apostle  and  later  successor  to  Wilford  Wood- 
ruff as  President  of  the  Church. 

Erastus  Snow,  from  Vermont,  and  Franklin  D.  Rich- 
ards, of  Massachusetts,  also  rose  to  apostolic  leadership 
while  engaging  actively  in  civic  affairs.  Daniel  H.  Wells, 
mayor  of  Salt  Lake  City,  superintendent  of  public  works, 
and  counselor  to  Brigham  Young,  was   born   in  New 


York,  but  he  had  Connecticut  ancestry.  The  Perpetual 
Emigrating  Fund  Company,  successful  agency  in  assist- 
ing over  a  hundred  thousand  Mormon  converts  to 
emigrate  to  Zion,  was  organized  and  officered  by  15 
men,  of  whom  11  were  natives  of  New  England. 

Most  of  the  Church  officials  played  important  civic 
and  political  roles  during  the  years  of  Utah's  provisional 
and  territorial  government.  It  was  fitting  that  John 
Henry  Smith,  grandson  of  Patriarch  John  Smith  of  New 
Hampshire,  should  preside  over  the  convention  that 
wrote  Utah's  state  constitution  in  1895,  and  that  Heber 
M.  Wells,  descendant  of  a  popular  Connecticut  gov- 
ernor, should  be  elected  as  the  first  governor  of  Utah. 

Notwithstanding  its  distinctive  origins,  the  Mormon 
village  reflected  certain  influences  of  the  New  England 
community  life.  The  ward  bishop  and  his  congregation 
were  the  basic  unit  of  community  development,  just  as 
were  the  pastor  and  his  congregation  in  New  England. 
Local  government  and  social  activities  were  governed  by- 
religious  leaders.  Like  the  Puritans,  the  Mormons  could 
readily  convert  the  congregation  into  a  civic  body  to 
enact  local  laws  and  take  measures  for  the  general  wel- 
fare. Both  represented  theocracies  in  which  government 
and  religion  were  influenced  to  varying  degrees  by 
calvinistic  austerity.' 

The  New  Englander's  frugality  and  resourcefulness 
found  voice  in  the  revelation  given  to  Joseph  Smith: 
"Thou  shalt  not  be  idle;  for  he  that  is  idle  shall  not  eat 
the  bread  nor  wear  the  garments  of  the  laborer"  (D&C 
42:42),  and  in  Brigham  Young's  "every  man  should 
have  his  land  measured  off  to  him  for  city  and  farming 
purposes,  what  he  could  till.  He  might  till  it  as  he 
pleased,    but  he   should   be   industrious   and    take   care 


of  it 


"3 


The  considerable  number  of  New  England  scholars 
who  rose  to  leadership  in  the  restored  Church  found 
themselves  at  home  in  the  Mormon  environment,  where 
modern  revelation  related  learning  to  salvation. 
Nowhere  was  the  Puritan  emphasis  on  education  better 
expressed  than  in  these  Latter-day  Saint  teachings: 
"A  man  is  saved  no  faster  than  he  gets  knowledge" 
(Documentary  History  of  the  Church,  Vol.  4,  p.  588); 
"It  is  impossible  for  a  man  to  be  saved  in  ignorance" 
(D&C  131:6);  "Whatever  principle  of  intelligence  we 
attain  unto  in  this  life,  it  will  rise  with  us  in  the  resur- 
rection" (D&C  131:18);  ".  .  .  seek  ye  out  of  the  best 
books  wrords  of  wisdom;  seek  learning,  even  by  study 


August    1968 


83 


and  also  by  faith."  (D&C  88:118.) 

Such  religious  teachings  bore  fruit  at  an  early  date, 
for  just  as  the  New  Englanders  produced  their  own 
primer  in  1690,  so  came  the  command  to  W.  W.  Phelps 
and  Oliver  Cowdery  "to  do  the  work  ...  of  selecting 
and  writing  books  for  schools  in  this  church,  that  little 
children  also  may  receive  instruction.  .  .  ."  (D&C  55:4.) 
From  that  June  day  in  Kirtland,  Ohio,  1831,  primary 
interest  in  education  characterized  the  Latter-day  Saints 
in  Missouri,  in  Illinois,  and  in  Utah  where,  during  the 
first  winter,  two  schools  were  maintained  for  the  pioneer 
children.  And  just  as  Harvard  University  grew  out  of 
New  England's  thirst  for  advanced  education,  so  two 
universities  were  established  at  an  early  date  in  Utah 
to  train  teachers  for  a  rapidly  growing  school  system. 
Results  from  this  religious  philosophy  appear  in  Utah's 
high  educational  accomplishment  in  relation  to  a  rela- 
tively low  supporting  ability.  They  are  also  reflected  in 
Utah's  commendable  record  of  continued  pursuit  of 
education  into  higher  levels  of  learning. 

Mormon  leaders  shared  with  those  New  England 
co-founders  of  U.  S.  government  a  deep  reverence  for 
the  United  States  Constitution.  Said  Joseph  Smith, 
".  .  .  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States  is  a  glorious 
standard;  it  is  founded  in  the  wisdom  of  God.  It  is  a 
heavenly  banner."  {DHC,  Vol.  3,  p.  304.)  This  rever- 
ence for  the  Constitution  kept  the  Mormons  loyal  to  the 
United  States  even  when  they  were  driven  from  its 
confines  by  irresponsible  mobs.  It  kept  them  in  the 
Union  when  the  southern  states  urged  Utah's  secession 
in  defense  of  the  principle  of  states'  rights. 

In  view  of  such  common  factors,  it  was  not  surprising 
that  the  principles  of  the  restored  Church  of  Jesus  Christ 
should  appeal  to  New  Englanders.  These  early  Church 
leaders  were  challenged  to  investigate  the  light  of  truth 
that  flashed  into  their  spiritual  darkness.     Roger  Wil- 


liams recognized  this  darkness  when  he  said,  "There 
is  no  regularly  constituted  church  of  Christ  on  earth, 
nor  any  person  authorized  to  administer  any  church 
ordinance,  nor  can  there  be  until  new  apostles  are 
sent  by  the  head  of  the  church,  for  whose  coming 
I  am  seeking."  (William  Cullen  Bryant,  Picturesque 
America  [1872],  Vol.  1,  p.  500.) 

Two  hundred  years  later  Ralph  Waldo  Emerson 
echoed  Roger  Williams'  confession  by  saying,  "and  now 
it  is  my  duty  to  say  to  you  that  the  need  was  never 
greater  for  new  revelation  than  now;  .  .  .  men  have  come 
to  speak  of  revelation  as  somewhat  long  ago  given  and 
done,  as  if  God  were  dead.  The  injury  to  faith  throttles 
the  preacher;  the  godliest  of  institutions  becomes  an 
uncertain  and  inarticulate  voice." 

God  called  Joseph  Smith,  the  American  Prophet,  to 
fill  this  spiritual  vacuum.  Through  this  New  England 
youth,  in  whose  honor  the  granite  shaft  now  rises  high 
above  Sharon,  Vermont,  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ 
was  restored  in  its  fullness  on  April  6,  1830.  Under  the 
leadership  of  the  Prophet's  successor,  Brigham  Young, 
the  Church  was  led  into  the  West  to  become  a  base  from 
which  the  gospel  message  is  being  carried  to  all  the 
world.  Other  New  Englanders  accepted  the  challenge 
to  investigate  the  message  of  the  restored  gospel  and 
found  in  it  the  more  abundant  life  on  earth  and  the  way 
of  salvation  beyond.  In  return,  as  they  dedicated  their 
lives  to  God's  service,  they  contributed  much  to  the 
progress  of  the  Church.  O 

FOOTNOTES 

1So  called  by  Whitney  Cross  in  his  book  by  that  title  because  of  the 
intensity  of  recurring  religious  revivals  in  the  Finger  Lakes  area. 

2George  S.  Ellsworth,  "A  History  of  the  L.D.S.  Missions  in  the  United 
States  and  Canada,  1830-1847"  (unpublished  Ph.D.  dissertation,  University  of 
California,   Berkeley,    1951). 

3Cowdery  is  included  here  because  of  his  close  association  with  Joseph  Smith 
and    his   temporary   position   of   "assistant    president." 

4This  was  well  demonstrated  in  the  Mormon  reformation  in  1856.  See 
Gustive  O.  Larson,  "The  Mormon  Reformation,"  (Utah  Historical  Quarterly, 
January   1958),   p.  58. 

&Wilford   Woodruff,   Journal,   July  25,    1847. 


Mockery 
By  Thelma  Ireland 


I  lust rated  by  Turk  Evans 


Five  sea  gulls  frolic  with  the  wake. 
They  chase  the  whitecaps  as  they  break. 
They  dip,  they  dive,  they  soar,  they  glide, 
They  circle  downward  to  one  side; 


They  swoop  in  rhythm  as  in  song. 
They  stay  aloft  the  whole  day  long. 
I  think  that  they  are  mocking  me, 
Who  has  to  ride  a  ship  to  sea. 


84 


Improvement  Era 


" . . .  since  1830  there  had  been 

a  growing  tendency 

for  all  Christian  denominations 

toward  simplification 

and  convergence " 


G&zem 


These  Times 


By  Dr.  G.  Homer  Durham 

President,  Arizona   State   University 


•  Effective  September  8,  1968, 
ceremonial  in  the  Roman  Catholic 
mode  of  worship  is  to  be  simpli- 
fied and  will  aim  at  attaining  a 
"halo  of  light  and  purity."  The 
announcement  was  made  by  Pope 
Paul  VI  from  Vatican  City  June  25, 


1968.  The  reports  were  widely 
circulated  in  the  press  thereafter. 
As  reported,  the  Pope  announced 
that  "thrones"  for  the  world's 
Catholic  bishops  were  being 
abolished,  the  vestments  worn 
will  be  modified,  and  the  number 


August    1968 


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The  announcement    moves  "the 

of  worship  away  from 
influence  of  fourth  century 


of  persons  assisting  a  bishop  in 
celebrating  mass  will  be  reduced. 

A  glance  at  history  will  place 
these  changes  in  perspective.  By 
the  time  of  the  twentieth  century, 
two  different  opinions  concerning 
"church"  and  "worship"  were 
widely  evident  in  the  Christian 
world.  Both  opinions  claim  scrip- 
ture as  authority.  One  view  holds 
that  Jesus  Christ  established,  in 
his  lifetime,  a  definite  church 
with  a  code  of  doctrines,  laws, 
beliefs,  and  authority  for  its 
government.  The  other  argues 
that  he  gave  no  set  forms  or  sys- 
tems of  discipline  or  government, 
but  that  he  taught  the  gospel  as  a 
means  of  religious  and  moral  in- 
struction; that  where  two  or  three 
would  gather  in  his  name  for 
worship,  there  would  he  also  be, 
and  so  forth. 

Section  20  of  the  Doctrine  and 
Covenants,  the  great  section  on 
church  organization  and  govern- 
ment given  in  April  1830,  advised 
Joseph  Smith  and  Oliver  Cowdery 
that  the  Church  was  to  be  "regu- 
larly organized  and  established 
agreeable  to  the  laws  of  our 
country."  (Verse  1.)  The  spirit 
underlying  the  mode  of  worship 
was  outlined  as  follows: 

"The  elders  are  to  conduct 
the  meetings  as  they  are  led 
by  the  Holy  Ghost,  according 
to  the  commandments  and  revela- 
tions of  God."  (Verse  45.) 

Probably  the  most  thorough 
Latter-day  Saint  student  of  the  ori- 
gins and  development  of  the  early 
Christian  church  was  Dr.  James 
L.  Barker,  for  many  years  chair- 
man  of  the   Department   of   Lan- 


86 


guages  at  the  University  of 
Utah  and  a  vigorous  member 
of  the  Sunday  School  general 
board  under  the  superintendency 
of  Elder  David  0.  McKay.  In  his 
later  years  he  also  served  as 
president  of  the  Argentine  Mission 
and  then  as  president  of  the 
French  Mission. 

His  life-long  interest  in  the 
history  of  the  Christian  church  is 
expressed  in  three  consecutive 
volumes  entitled  "The  Divine 
Church:  Down  Through  Change, 
Apostasy  Therefrom,  and  Restora- 
tion" (Vol.  1,  256  pages,  pub- 
lished by  the  Council  of  the 
Twelve,  1951;  Vol.  2,  200  pages 
plus  1  page  appendix,  ibid.,  1951; 
and  Vol.  3,  305  pages  plus  2-page 
map,  ibid.,  1951).  These  three 
volumes  constituted  the  course 
of  study  for  the  Melchizedek 
Priesthood  quorums  for  the  years 
1952,  1953,  and  1954  respec- 
tively. It  was  Dr.  Barker's  feeling, 
expressed  in  my  presence  on 
many  occasions,  that  since  1830 
there  had  been  a  growing  ten- 
dency for  all  Christian  denomina- 
tions toward  simplification  and 
convergence  respecting  organiza- 
tion forms,  doctrines,  beliefs,  and 
the  mode  of  worship.  Were  he 
alive  today,  I  believe  his  com- 
ments on  the  announcement  of 
Pope  Paul  VI  would  run  strongly 
along  such  a  line. 

Dr.  Barker,  with  many  other 
scholars  and  encyclopedists,  regu- 
larly pointed  out  that  the  form  of 
Christian  worship  after  the  fourth 
century,  under  the  influence  of 
"Caesaro-papism"  (as  Dr.  Barker 
styled  it),  was  molded  to  the  form 


Improvement  Era 


Roman  Catholic  mode 


the  cultura 

Roman  government. 


and  style  of  the  basilicas,  or  the 
royal  public  halls  of  the  Roman 
empire.  As  described  by  one 
encyclopedist: 

"The  basilica  was  generally  in 
the  form  of  a  parallelogram,  with 
a  semi-circular  apse  at  one  end, 
which  was  raised,  being  ap- 
proached by  a  semi-circular  range 
of  steps.  In  the  center  of  this 
apse  was  the  raised  seat  of  the 
quaestor  or  other  presiding  magis- 
trate; on  each  side,  upon  the  steps 
were  places  for  the  assessors,  or 
those  engaged  in  the  business 
being  transacted.  In  the  front  of 
the  apse  was  placed  an  altar, 
where  sacrifice  was  performed 
before  undertaking  public  busi- 
ness of  any  importance.  The  area 
of  the  building  was  divided  by  two 
rows  of  columns,  the  central 
division  or  nave  being  the  broad- 
est. .  .  . 

"In  such  a  building  as  above 
described,  the  whole  congrega- 
tion of  the  faithful  (after  the 
persecuted  Christians,  in  the  time 
of  Constantine,  emerged  from 
their  meeting  places  in  upper 
rooms  and  catacombs)  could  meet 
and  take  part  in  the  act  of  wor- 
ship. The  bishop  naturally  took 
the  place  of  the  quaestor,  the 
priests  that  of  the  assessors.  The 
altar  on  which  the  pious  pagan 
poured  his  libations  at  the  com- 
mencement of  important  business 
served  equally  well  for  the  cele- 
bration of  Christian  rites.  When  in 
the  course  of  time  the  separation 
between  laity  and  clergy  became 
complete,  the  apse  was  railed  off 
and  appropriated  to  the  use  of 
the  clergy.   .  .  ." 


Pope  Paul's  announcement 
does  more  than  move  toward 
simplification  and  the  "halo  of 
light  and  purity."  It  also  appears 
to  move  the  Roman  Catholic  mode 
of  worship  away  from  the  cultural 
influence  of  fourth  century  Roman 
government.  As  such,  the  Pope's 
announcement  and  the  changes 
effective  September  8  may  be 
expected  to  exert  a  similar  influ- 
ence throughout  western  Christen- 
dom. 

The  bishop's  throne  becomes, 
states  the  press,  "simply  a  chair." 
The  baldachin  or  canopy  over  the 
throne  is  abolished  (unless  it 
happens  to  be  a  work  of  sacred 
artistic  value).  The  bishop  will 
put  on  his  vestments  in  the 
sacristy  or,  if  necessary,  at  his 
chair  or  at  the  altar.  The  vest- 
ments will  no  longer  be  placed  on 
the  altar. 

The  practice  of  priests  genu- 
flecting before  the  bishop  is 
abolished.  The  lavabo,  or  washing 
of  hands  by  the  bishop,  will  be 
administered  by  acolytes  and  not 
priests.  (The  washing  of  hands  in 
religious  ceremonies  is  very  an- 
cient and  characterized  Hebrew 
worship.  Readers  of  this  column 
who  have  held  the  office  of  priest 
in  the  Aaronic  Priesthood,  and 
who  have  served  in  the  adminis- 
tration of  the  sacrament  of  the 
Lord's  supper,  will  recall  from 
their  youth  an  approximation  of  a 
"lavabo.") 

The  prayers  of  preparation 
for  the  mass  are  abolished.  The 
bishop  may  omit  wearing  his  miter 
or  carrying  a  staff  in  moving  from 
one  place  to  another,  and  he  will 
not  use  the  miter  during  the 
lavabo  or  while  spreading  incense. 

These  changes,  joined  with  the 
earlier  authorization  to  conduct 
Roman  Catholic  services  in  the 
local  language  rather  than  in 
Latin,  carry  more  than  ordinary 
interest  for  the  modes  and  man- 
ners of  worship  in  these  times. o 


Some  50  styles  include  all  L.D.S.  temple 
designs  in  white  and  latest  parchments. 
Matching  Mormon  albums,  napkins,  other 
accessories.   One   day   rush  order  service. 


Send  25c  for  catalog  &  samples,  refunded 
on  first  order.  (50c  if  air  mail  desired.) 
REXCRAFT,  Rexburg,  Idaho  83440 


Name  - 


Address 


City.  Zone,  Stale  - 


THE  MOST  JOYFUL 
DAY  OF  YOUR  LIFE 

Free  from 
tedious  detail 


August   1968 


We  provide  the  gracious  touch 
of  charm  and  elegance  in  our 
personalized  assistance  with  your 
reception  arrangements. 

CRESTW00D  VILLA 

6505  Highland  Drive 

Salt  Lake  Citv,  Utah 

Phone  278-9291 


If  no  answer,  call  487-6116  or  485-8880 


87 


End  of  an  Era 


All  missionaries  fail  to  enjoy 
one  great  experience:  Their 
parents  inevitably  "grow  up" 
while  they're  away,  and  they 
miss  witnessing  the  transition. 
— Verge  Young,  Thornton,  Idaho 

While  tracting  in  a  small 

Michigan  city,  my  companion 

and  I  contacted  an  old  man 

living  in  a  quite  dilapidated 

house.  During  our  conversation 

with  him,  he  asked  where 

our  church  was.   My  companion 

replied,  "We  haven't  got  a 

chapel  built  here  yet,  but 

we  hope  to  in  the  near  future. 

The  headquarters  of  the  Church 

are  in  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah." 

The  old  man  looked  bewildered, 

then  said,  "Well,  son,  that's 

a  mite  too  far  for  me  to  travel 

each  Sunday!" 

—Elder  I.   B.    Crockett, 
Great  Lakes   Mission 


Nothing  in  the  world  is  foolproof 
as  long  as  there  is  a  fool. 


"I'm  sure  you  will  like  Jack," 
said  the  oldest  daughter,   just 
home  from  college.  "He's  a  fine 
young  man."    "Has  h'e  got 
any  property?"  demanded  her 
father.    "Oh,  you  men  are 
so  curious,"  sighed  the  girl. 
"Jack  asked  me  the  same  thing 
about  you." 

•  •  • 

Adventure  is  not  outside" a  man; 
it  is  within. 
— David  Grayson 

•  •  • 


"Mother's    in   the   hospital," 
explained  the  six-year-old  boy 
when   a  neighbor   called, 
"and  me  and  Daddy  and 
Georgie  and  Margaret  and  the 
twins  are  here  all  alone." 

The  peace  for  ivhich  the  world 
longs  is  a  time  of  suspended 
hostilities;  but  men  do  not 
realize  that  peace  is  a  state  of 
existence  that  comes  to  man 
only  upon  the  terms  and 
conditions  set  by  God,  and  in 
no  other  way. 

— Elder   Howard    W.    Hunter 

Keeping  up  with  the  Joneses 
is  bad  enough,  but  passing 
them  on  a  hill  is  worse. 

Planning  ahead:  Learning  the 
words  of  all  the  hymns 
before  getting  so   old  that 
you   need   glasses. 
— T.    Kirkwood    Collins 


The  greatest  thing  in  family 
life  is  to  take  a  hint  when  a 
hint  is  intended-and  not  to 
take  a  hint  when  a  hint  isn't 
intended. 

— Robert  Frost,  American  poet 


What  a  good  thing  Adam  had: 
When  he  said  a  good  thing,  he 
knew  nobody  had  said  it  before. 

— Mark  Twain,  American  humorist 

You  can't  pick  a  lock  with  a 
pickle,  you  can't  cure  the  sick 
-with  a  sickle,  pluck  figs  with  a 
figment,  drive  pigs  with  a 
pigment,  nor  make  your  watch 
tick  with  a  tickle.    You  can't 
slacken  your  gait  with  a  gaiter, 
you  can't  get  a  crate  with  a 
crater,  catch  moles  with  a 
molar,  bake  rolls  with  a  roller. 
But  you  can  get  a  wait 
from  a  waiter! 

— Sunshine   Magazine 


Life 

Among 

the 
Mormons 


As  Scoutmaster  of  the  Manavu 
Ward  troop,  I  was  suggesting 
possible  summer  camp  trips.  One 
Scout,  when  asked  where  he 
would  like  to  go,  continually 
stated  he  wanted  to  camp  behind 
the  chapel.  Thinking  he  was 
joking,  I  passed  it  by.    But 
when  he  insisted  that  this  was 
really  where  he  wanted  to 
camp,   I   asked  him   why. 
"Because,"  he  replied,  "I've  been 
taught  all  my  life  to  stay  close 
to  the  Church!" 
— Rodney    McClung,    Provo,    Utah 


"End  of  an  Era"  will  pay  $3  for  humorous  anecdotes  and  experiences  relating  to  Latter-day  Saint  way  of  life.  Maximum  length  150  words. 


88 


Improvement  Era 


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The    moment  that  WaS   planned   for  .   .   .    When  a  young  man  has  received  his  mis 
sion  call,  his  girl  can  share  that  great  moment  with  him.  But  for  a  father  there  can  be  the  deeper  satisfaction  of  knowing 
that  the  moment  of  happiness  had  been  anticipated,  and  that  a  special  Beneficial  Life  policy  has  been  building  the  cash 
reserve  to  enable  his  son  to  fulfill  the  obligations  of  his  mission.  A  great  moment     T^T^XTT^TTTr^TAl  THR1 


for  any  family 


especially  when  it  has  been  planned  for  .  . 


o/nmmnce  (S^^\  {^jomm/iu 


Virgil  H.  Smith,  Pre* 


Salt  Lake  City,  Utah